Breaking Free
by RFM86
Summary: On the run and quickly running out of time, to what lengths will British musician, Edward Cullen, go to regain his freedom? Will Bella Swan be his saving grace...or just another thorn in his side? A collaborative fic with The Little Wise Owl.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I am pleased to announce that this story is a collaborated effort with the wonderful and talented The Little Wise Owl. We hope that you journey with us every Friday with our very own FugitiveWard. **

**Special thanks as well to our fabulous beta, the one and only Midnight Cougar!**

**And as always, we don't own Twilight.**

**WARNING: There will be numerous references to physical violence that ties in with the Suspense/Crime genre.  
**

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Prologue

There's a sudden knock at the door. I'm startled, but perhaps I shouldn't be.

"Seattle Police," they identify themselves, "open up!"

I don't budge. The knocking becomes louder morphing into pounding, and I gather Tanya's lifeless body into my arms, feeling the unexpected need to protect her against whatever is waiting on the other side of that door.

"Seattle Police," they yell once more, "we're coming in!" With a loud thud, five police officers storm into the silence of mine and Tanya's apartment, effectively ruining the serenity of the moment.

"Sir, put your hands on the back of your head where we can see them!" one of the officers commands, their footsteps becoming louder as they cautiously approach.

"Get back!" I shout, recoiling against the wall behind me and pulling Tanya against my chest. The guitar string around her neck snags on the zipper of my leather jacket, effectively synching it tighter. I cry out in agony as her skin darkens with blood oozing from around the wire.

The calibers of their Colt .45s are pointed in my direction. Three fluorescent laser beams dance across my sweaty forehead. A definite kill shot. Suddenly I'm considering drawing the cable tighter; silently asking them to end the anguish that I'm in.

As soon as these thoughts infiltrate my mind, I'm immediately disgusted with myself. What have I done?

Tanya's flaccid body falls heavily to the floor as I release her. The sickening thud brings me back into focus on the reality of the moment.

"On your stomach now!" one officer shouts, while another officer drags Tanya's body out of my reach. Can't they see there's nothing left that I can do to her?

I hit the floor, my chest slamming violently against the hard surface. Tears descend down my cheeks and create small pools in the grooves of the wood. My arms are jerked harshly behind my back, my wrists quickly fastened together by a set of cold metal restraints.

It takes two officers to hoist me off of the floor, while another reads me my Miranda Rights. I'm in a haze, watching as the other two officers make notes and prod at Tanya's comatose body with the tips of their ink pens. The room spins and I think I'm going to be sick.

I'm heaved into the hallway, stumbling clumsily over my immobilized feet. Mrs. Webber, the old woman who lives next door, speaks enthusiastically to another officer that hadn't been in the apartment.

She points a wrinkly finger in my direction and says, "That's him." The officer nods and writes notes in a small steno pad, telling Mrs. Webber she'll need to come down to the station to make an official statement.

I'm shoved into the back of the black police cruiser; the metal bites sharply into my wrists as I land awkwardly on my side.

The booking process at the jail is a blur; I don't even mumble a word of resistance when asked to remove all of my clothes for a strip search.

"What's your name?" I'm asked, as Officer Yorkie pats a little too thoroughly between my legs. I shiver and swallow the bile rising in my throat.

"Cullen. Edward Cullen." I tell him, finally finding my voice and cringing at the feeling of his latex covered fingers against my skin.

"Not anymore," he says, shoving an orange jumpsuit in my direction.

"Inmate number 90515," he calls out and hits a button on the wall that opens the automatic steel door between us and hell. I'm pushed through it and before I can turn around, it's slammed shut. The resounding noise the door makes as it opens affectively notifies the other inmates of the fresh meat entering their market.

Another officer meets me there and roughly grabs a hold of the cuffs, leading me to my new purgatory.

"Murderer!" one inmate shouts, rattling the bars of his cell.

"Shut it, Pete! We're all here for the same reason," another inmate hisses from across the way. I keep my head down, avoiding making eye contact with any of the prisoners that have taken to their cell doors to watch my arrival.

We come to a stop about halfway down the corridor and the door is opened for me.

"Hey pretty boy," the man already inside the cell flirts. I fling my body around and attach my newly released hands around the steel bars.

"Get me out of here!" I holler at the officer who is now making his hasty retreat. A couple of the other inmates snicker at my vulnerability.

"Why don't you come over here and let papa take care of you?" my new roommate hints, swaying his hips as he walks towards me.

I eye him warily knowing I have to get the fuck out of here. Soon.

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**Let us know what you think. Are you intrigued?**


	2. Chapter 1

**Little Wise Owl and I want to thank you so much for the support you've given our little story! We have been overwhelmed with all of the reviews, story alerts and even reccs! Have patience with us. Hopefully by the end of the story, we'll have answered any and all questions you may have had.**

**Big hugs to Midnight Cougar, our beta, and Cared, our banner maker! We love you guys!**

**We don't own Twilight or any of the characters, we just incarcerate them!**

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Chapter 1

Two years of my life completely wasted.

All over a random girl that, as time passed, I realized I never cared that much about. She sure as hell wasn't worth this.

I lay on my bunk, tossing a ball made of rolled up socks back and forth between my hands. What a way to kill time.

"Do you think we'll get away with it?" my cellmate, Jasper Whitlock, whispers from the top bunk. I sigh, putting my toy beside me on the lumpy mattress. Thankfully my old cellmate, Mike Newton, was transferred to a minimum security prison shortly after I was processed. And to say Jasper has been a dream to live with, comparatively, is a vast understatement. Mike's blatant advances had gotten old real quick.

"I really hope so," I tell him honestly. I just don't know how much longer I can put up with life behind bars if we don't succeed.

"Did you get the cuffs?" he asks, and I pull them out from their hiding spot inside my pillowcase. They jingle noisily and I quickly shove them back inside the worn cotton to keep from garnering any unwanted attention.

"Emmett managed to snag the keys out of the maintenance room yesterday. I'm surprised they just leave those lying around like that."

"Me too," I reply. Emmett is part of the workgroup that handles maintenance in and around the facility. Usually inmates are given goodtime credit for their hours worked, but when you're serving two consecutive life sentences, I really don't understand why he agrees to do it. The way it is now, he'll never see the free world again in his lifetime….unless he lives to be 180 years old.

Jasper and I met Emmett in the lunchroom a little over a year ago. He was the new kid on the block…or row…whatever you prefer to call it. He walked straight over to our table and swiped the apple right off of Jasper's tray. It didn't faze us though; we'd seen this move before. Time and time again, new inmates would do little things like that to show the rest of us they didn't plan on taking any shit from anyone. It was a bluff; one that Jasper called him on.

"_Give me my fucking apple, you goddamned ugly ass ape!" he hissed, snatching the shiny piece of fruit out of Emmett's oversized hand. I snickered, making sure to keep my eyes on my own tray. It was spaghetti day; the only thing they served around here worth having. I wasn't letting anyone get their hands on that._

Emmett flexed his muscles, standing his ground for a few seconds until Jasper hauled off and punched him, right square in the nose. Blood splattered everywhere and two of the guards on duty headed in our direction.

"_You just wait," Emmett threatened, "You've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to let you get away with that!" he sneered, looking like a fool as he stood there, pinching the lower part of his nose._

It's funny now; the things that bring us inmates together. After a few days in the "hole", or solitary confinement, Jasper returned to the lunchroom and Emmett attempted the same damned thing. Jasper wiped his mouth with his napkin, calmly stood up and placed both of his hands on the table, and simply said:

"_Sit down you little bitch before I have to knock the shit out of you. This time you won't be as lucky to escape with only a bloody nose." _And that's exactly what Emmett did. We've been tight ever since.

"I'm nervous." I admit, flipping over onto my side. Jasper doesn't get a chance to respond because the officer on guard is doing his nightly rounds.

"Cullen? Whitlock?" he calls out as he passes our cell. We both acknowledge him. He makes a mark on his clipboard and walks to the next cell. I resist the urge to flip him off.

Jasper doesn't say anything else for the remainder of the night. I wonder what he's thinking; if he's as anxious as I am.

The last two years have been a living hell to say the least. The guards are arses, the food is atrocious, and the other inmates will exchange blows any chance they get. It's their way of reminding the other prisoners of their rank and superiority. I learned quickly that keeping to yourself is the only way to survive around here.

Tomorrow's plans have been in the works for over six months now. We've coordinated every minute detail down to a 'T', or so we hope. I guess we'll find out tomorrow either way.

The uniform Jasper snuck out of the laundry room a couple of months ago is hidden discreetly on the underside of the small wooden table in our cell. We used chewing gum to attach it; both of us thought it was pretty damn creative at the time. Neither of us really understands why the prison has rules prohibiting inmates from obtaining tape; I mean, how much damage can really be done with a roll of tape?

Tucking my ratty wool blanket up underneath my chin, I close my eyes and try to catch some shuteye. I should have known better.

I can't keep my mind from racing; wondering what consequences we may face if we're unsuccessful in our attempt. What if Emmett or Jasper get too nervous and bail? There's no way I can escape alone. What if we do get away with it? There are just too many unanswered questions to get any rest tonight.

Hopefully I can get as much rest as I want once I'm on the other side of these concrete walls and barbed wire fencing.

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**AN: Any and all reviews are greatly appreciated. We want to hear what your thoughts are on this chapter!**


	3. Chapter 2

**LWO and I appreciate each and every one of our readers! Without you, this story would just be an idea brewing in our heads. Thank you for your support!**

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Chapter 2

The guard on duty doesn't stand a chance. Standing alone with his hands in his pockets, just whistling and waiting for the lunchtime shift change; he marches lazily in place; left, right, right, left.

Jasper, wearing the officer's uniform, sans gum, leads me out in shackles and handcuffs to the prison yard. It's my first taste of fresh air in over two years. God, does it feel fucking fantastic as I take a deep breath in and close my eyes relishing in the moment, before exhaling and getting on with our plan.

"Officer -?" the guard calls out and begins heading hurriedly in our direction. Jasper ducks his head down a bit and recites the memorized information we'd come up with during our precise planning.

"Officer Tyler Crowley, sir. We have a transfer to Stafford Creek," he says, his Southern drawl stronger than ever. Using impeccable timing, Emmett pulls the Washington State Penitentiary's white Econoline van up to the automatic gate. He honks the horn continually, trying to prevent the guard from getting any closer to us.

With one more glance in our direction, the guard retreats back to the gate and initiates the switch which allows the mechanism to open up. Now, the only thing standing between the three of us and freedom is one overweight, middle aged white man, hungry for a tuna fish sandwich.

"Sir, I'm Officer Embry Call and I'm here to transport prisoner 90515 to Stafford Creek. I've been informed that Officer Crowley is to stay with the prisoner at all times until he is on location at Stafford," Emmett spouts off, standing about a foot taller than the guard.

"I was not aware we had a transfer going out today," the guard says a bit unsure, and Jasper wastes no time loading me into the backseat of the van. Sweat trickles down my face, and I'm worried we've waited too long and the guard on the next shift will catch us and ruin our little ruse. There goes my chance of parole in twenty years!

"Warden Stanley gave me the direct orders just this morning. They're knocking inmate Cullen back to minimum security. Trying to make room for a new max," Emmett says, using lingo he'd picked up over his stay. He motions to the papers in his hands.

"Now, I most definitely don't know anything about the possibility of a new inmate. Let me see those papers, boy," the guard says heatedly, grabbing at the papers in Emmett's hands and reaching for the gun on his belt at the same time. I groan. The papers are an assortment of documents Emmett had collected out of rubbish bins around the facility. God only knows what they say.

Before he knows what hits him, the guard's body makes a sharp thud as it falls to the hard ground.

"He fucking killed him. He wasn't supposed to kill him!" Jasper exclaims and tries to jump out of the van, but before he does, Emmett climbs back into the driver's seat.

"What the fuck man? You weren't supposed to kill him!" Jasper yells as Emmett puts the van into reverse.

"I didn't kill him, stupid. I just knocked him out cold; he'll be fine in a couple of hours," Emmett says and points our getaway car north.

We're quiet for a good five minutes before I finally speak up.

"I can't believe we actually pulled that shit off." I smile at my friends and the three of us begin to laugh wholeheartedly, inadvertently releasing a lot of built up tension.

"I just knew we weren't going to get away with it. He was being just too damned nosey," Jasper says thoughtfully, shaking his head.

"That's why I had to knock him out. We were about three point five seconds away from being shot." The severity of his statement doesn't escape us and we resort back to quietness for another thirty minutes or so.

"Well….where to fellas?" Emmett asks, looking at us through the rearview mirror. After all of our meticulous planning, how did we manage to forget to discuss our plans for after our escape? I guess in the back of all of our minds, we didn't truly think we'd get away with it.

"Strip club!" Jasper suggests, a little too enthusiastically. I chuckle and elbow him in the ribs.

"What? It's been a long time since I've seen a nice set of tits. I'm a little past due if you know what I'm saying." I sigh. Yeah, I knew exactly what he was saying. It's not like I had anyone coming for conjugal visits either.

"The way I figure it; we've got about 2 hours before our faces are plastered all over the news. We should make the best of it before we go into hiding," I state melancholically. Emmett sighs but nods his head in agreement.

"Strip club it is," he says with a big grin on his face and takes a turn to the west.

Seattle – 265 Miles

"We'll never make it in time," I say, shaking my head. Our faces will be everywhere by then.

"To Seattle? No, we'd never get there before the 3 o'clock news airs, but I know of a nice little place along the way. We should be there within thirty." I sigh as Jasper takes off my handcuffs and ankle shackles.

"So what's your big plan, Ed?" Jasper asks as we gun down the highway.

"I'm going to try to get to Canada and get a fake license and passport there somehow. Then, I'm going to hop the first flight off of this damned continent and head back to London, where I'll never have to worry about this shit again. But first, I've got a little business to take care of in Forks."

"That sounds nice man. I'm hoping that Alice chick I've been telling you about will be interested in doing a little aiding and abetting." Jasper wriggles his eyebrows and I roll my eyes.

"What about you, Em?" I ask, noticing he's been quiet on the subject.

"I'm hoping one of these strippers will be my new lady luck." Jasper and I both snort. Only Emmett would be trying to pick up a stripper no more than an hour after escaping prison.

I watch as the trees fly by outside, rubbing the imprints the cuffs have left on my wrists. I roll down the window and inhale the scent of fresh air.

It feels so damned good to be free.

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**Reviews are like Edward being free. They feel so damned good! **


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry for a slightly later update today. LWO is on holiday and RFM was knackered from being in the presence of thePretty last night. (true story) But it's still Friday, so we're all good!  
**

** And if you're in the mood for some British Gypsyward be sure to check out LWO's drabble, The Gypsy Bride. He's one hot Gypsy!**

**Much love to our fab beta, Midnight Cougar who keeps us all in the same "tense". You wouldn't want to read this story without her work!**

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Chapter 3

"_I'm gettin' bugged driving up and down this same old strip_," Emmett wails at the top of his lungs, "_I gotta find a new place where the kids are hip_."

Yep, we are finally free and able to do whatever we want and we are stuck in a vehicle that only gets the oldies station. That's how far from human civilization we are at the moment.

"_I get around. Get around, get around. I get around_," Jasper sings along and I fill in with the harmony. Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? Even if it is the Beach Boys.

Driving down the road, singing our little hearts out, I finally remember something. How the bloody hell am I supposed to go into a strip club dressed like a prisoner?

"Hey, Em! I think we're going to have to make a stop or two before we hit the strip club."

"Why, you gotta go tinkle already there, Eddie boy?"

"No you, git. We need some new clothes and probably a bit more cash if we want to actually get somewhere and stay off the radar. My extracurricular activities only provided us with a small amount of money."

Back in the slammer we knew there was no way we could pull off this escape without a bit of money. But we were very limited on how to go about getting some. Luckily, we came up with an idea.

The rec room was always filled with inmates and guards patrolling the area looking for any signs of trouble. Jasper would saunter up to one and I'd stay a step behind cracking and flexing my knuckles. Jasper would get the guard talking.

The plan was fool proof. We had done it so many times. The only downfall was not knowing for sure if we'd get any money in the end.

"_So how about those Mariners, Officer Tanner? What's this season looking like for them?"_

"_You are not gonna believe it, man," Officer Tanner starts. "The season's just started and already they are 5 and 0. It's gonna be their year."_

All you had to do was get them talking on a subject they loved. And being with the guards so long, we had found each and every one of their weaknesses. Then it was my turn.

Once the guard was really into telling their story, I walked up carefully behind them and added my two cents to the story. All the while putting my guitar playing fingers to work.

I deftly pulled out his wallet, grabbed some cash and slipped it back into his pocket. The hard part was hiding the cash in your bare hands with nowhere to put it. My long fingers wadded up the bills and covered every inch of green in seconds.

_As we walked away Jasper started singing quietly, "Eddie's got a quick hand. He'll look around the room. He won't tell you his plan."_

"_Bloody hell, Jazz! Enough with that blasted song." I really couldn't stand that song. What the hell were "kicks" anyway? _

_Jasper guffawed, "It just makes me happy to see you putting your fingers to good use, man."_

"_Well, if we pull this off my fingers are going to be on the fret and strings of every guitar that comes my way."_

As soon as our allotted recreation time was over and we were escorted back into our cell, we'd wait patiently until we were alone to count out our spoils. Sometimes it was only a couple of bucks. Other times we struck it rich with a few twenties. It wasn't much but it was enough to start our journey on.

The sing a long's going strong until we pull up to the front of a local convenience store. It's Jasper's turn to put his skills and Southern charm to the test. Looking through the glass doors we can see one lonely college aged girl. Perfect.

Jazz walks into the store, the bell alerting the girl of his presence. His smile is infectious and the girl returns a shy one of her own. He walks up and down the aisles grabbing a couple bags of chips and a soda and then places them on the counter next to the register.

"Howdy, Kate" Jasper says, reading her name badge. "It sure is warm today." He tugs on the collar, opening it up to reveal a small patch of skin.

"Um, yeah, It's pretty hot for Washington," she replies a bit dazzled by his charm.

She rings up his purchases and Jasper holds out some cash to pay. Kate opens the till of the register and before she could close it, Jasper leans over and whispers to her.

"Darling, I forgot. Could I get a pack of smokes?" he asks smoothly.

"Sure, they're in the case. Let me get the key in the back," she answers turning to retrieve it and unknowingly leaving the drawer open in her mesmerized state. The man is good.

As Kate walks to the back, with a little more spring in her step, Jasper grabs the cash and sticks it in his pockets. The ring of the front door is the only sign of his departure. We take off in the van as fast as possible and don't stop until we reach the next town.

New clothes are next on the agenda and since Emmett's face is still unknown and I'm still wearing my prisoner garb, it's his turn to join society. And this time, in a very civilized way. This time he's actually paying for it with money, albeit stolen money, but hey, he's going to pay for it.

Thankfully, he returns with some simple t-shirts and jeans. Em tosses back a white v neck tee and I grab it in the air. Next, he wads up a light blue tee and hurls it at Jazz. It hits him squarely in the face.

"Nice catch, man," Emmett snickers. Jasper just punches him in the arm in response.

Emmett is already wearing his tight ass black tee that shows off his hours of work in the jail gym, having changed in the store dressing room. And Jazz and I quickly change in the back of the van. Now we're ready to take on the world!

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**Songs mentioned in this chapter: "I Get Around" by The Beach Boys and "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People.**

**And remember, reviews are like watching Edward change into civilian clothes in the back of a van. UNF!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Whew! It's still Friday on the West Coast! We made it. LWO and RFM hope that this little chapter helps brighten your day. We know we all need it! **

**Much love as always to our fab beta, Midnight Cougar!**

**And just a reminder that we don't own the Twilight characters. We just put them on the run!**

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Chapter 4

We switch off driving up the I-5 stopping only when Emmett insists he needs his "sustenance." Which basically means the biggest, greasiest, sauce dripping all over the place, double meat cheeseburger you have ever seen. Add to that his bucket of fries and a giant ass chocolate shake and he is good to go.

Jasper and I take it a little easier with a regular cheeseburger and cokes. We aren't used to eating food this rich and want to take it easy, just in case. Hey, you have to be careful when you're on the road!

Finally, we pull into the dirt lot of the most rundown building I've ever seen. _Pandora's_, the sign reads and it can either be a dream come true or our worst nightmare. I'm not quite sure yet. But Emmett and Jasper are so excited that the engine has barely turned off before they jump out of the car. One thing I know for certain. I have to take a leak bad.

The room is dark and filled with smoke, both from cigarettes and a fog machine. The lights on the stage are dancing to the up tempo music. Waitresses are decked out in a variety of red and black bustiers. Sauntering around the venue, swaying their hips, they take drink orders and bat enough eyelashes and expose enough cleavage to guarantee a hefty tip.

Em and Jazz have already secured a prime table at the front of the stage. Once the necessities are out of the way I was ready to enjoy some freedom.

"Another round of drinks!" shouts Emmett, ready to squander the meager funds we had just acquired.

I take a long, sweet drag on one of my few prized cigarettes. My mind begins to wander. With the cigarette smoke, the alcohol and the scantily clad women serving our every desire, it is easy to just relax for a moment.

"Hey handsome, want a private show?" whispers a pair of tits accompanied by a make-up caked face.

"Uh, no thanks," I mutter. I wasn't ready to waste my hard earned cash yet.

As I begin to fully process my surroundings, I realize that all of this stimuliis really overloading my senses. Not quite the same as being in the slammer. I take a deep breath to calm my rapidly beating heart.

The lights dim even more, the music switches to something a little sexier and this beautiful, buxom blonde struts on stage. She starts off moving slowly and sensually, gliding her hands over her body. She picks up the pace, shaking her ass from side to side. Her movements are mesmerizing. The guys start whistling and she heads our way. She is gorgeous, but all I can think about is the last woman I held in my arms.

I was kneeling on the floor, her head in my lap. I just told myself over and over again she was only asleep. That the pool of blood that drenched my knees was just red colored water. I held her to my chest, blood spilling out onto my body. I raked my hand through my hair that was already matted with drying blood. She was dead. This was real. The sobs started to rack my body.

My eyes snap open from my reverie and I see the stripper right in front of our table. She is rubbing herself up and down a pole looking so seductive. I look at Jazz and Em who are staring agape at her, especially Emmett. He looks like he's about ready to crawl onto the stage with her. Why are they okay with all of this? Oh that's right, they weren't charged for the murder of their girlfriend.

"I need some fresh air," I tell my mates. I doubt they hear me. Emmett is stuffing as many dollar bills as he has down the girl's g-string. And Jasper's eyes are glued to her tits hanging out of that little tiny top.

Outside the fresh forest air seems to calm me. I need to get over this. My life as of today is a new beginning and I have to seize the moments, not live in the past.

"You okay, man?" asks Jasper minutes later, stirring me out of my inner turmoil.

"Yeah, mate" I reply, "I just think we need to get on our way. Don't want to spend too much time in one fucking place."

"I get ya, but it looks like Em will be harder to drag away," Jasper snorts. "Seems like he found his 'lady luck' after all."

"Are you shitting me?" I ask not believing my ears. This is all we need.

We walk back to our table where Emmett is nowhere in sight. We head down the darkened hallway for one more pit stop and almost run right into him. With his tongue down the stripper's throat, her body and his so intertwined you can't tell where Emmett's begins and hers ends.

"Dude, we need to head on out, "Jazz tells Em, tapping what he hopes is Emmett's shoulder.

"I'm not going," he says adamantly.

"What do you mean, you're not going?" I ask incredulously. We are only a half hour away from where we just escaped. There is no way in hell we are going to let him stay here.

"I mean I'm not going. Rose and I have just met." He looks at us imploringly with those big puppy dog eyes of his.

"Yeah, Emmett's my monkey man. We belong together," Rose states as a matter of fact.

Jasper covers his mouth to prevent the chuckle from escaping his lips. I cock an eyebrow at him questionably.

"Um, Emmett, we really can't stay here any longer. It's not uh, a good idea," stammers Jasper. None of us really want to spit out the reason for leaving in front of this stranger. No matter how hot she is.

"Hey Rose, want to blow this joint?" Emmett asks suavely.

"I'll go anywhere with you, big daddy," Rose answers back.

Jasper and I look at each other and roll our eyes. This is not going to be easy and we really do need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.

"Fine. Both of you in the van in five," I demand. "And make sure you use the loo. We're not making any stops to the little ladies room any time soon."

"The loo?" Rose giggles. "You are adorable." She breaks out in a huge grin and kisses me on the cheek. "Road trip!" she sings, as she runs off to collect her tips. And then grab some actual clothes. This is going to get interesting now that we've added another to our posse.

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**So Rose is a stripper, huh? What do think Alice and Bella will be like?**


	6. Chapter 5

**Once again, we would like to thank each and every one of you for reading, reviewing and putting us on alert! It helps us write every chapter a bit faster and with a huge smile on our faces.**

**Extra love to Midnight Cougar for her beta epicness and Cared for bringing Fugitiveward to life for our viewing pleasure! We love you both.**

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Chapter 5

"Breaker breaker one five. Please be on the lookout for a stolen white 2003 Ford Econoline van being driven by three Caucasian males. Van is licensed to Washington State Penitentiary and was last seen driving northwest on I-82. Suspects are escapees and to be considered armed and dangerous at this time. Repeat. Please be-,"

Emmett reaches over and hastily shuts the dashboard police radio off.

"Fuck! We're so dead!" Jasper exclaims, banging his head against the passenger side window. I just shake my head in disbelief and stare out the window. Maybe we hadn't been as lucky as we thought.

"Let's just get to Port Angeles and we'll figure it out from there," Emmett suggests. If she's aware that she's just run away with three escaped convicts, Rosalie doesn't show it; she's spent the past hour singing songs from the Def Leppard catalog.

"Would you just shut up already?" I snap at her and Emmett gives me a sneering look through the rearview mirror.

"Fuckin' A, Emmett, tell me you want to hear _'Pour Some Sugar on Me'_ again and I'll shut the fuck up!" He doesn't say anything. Yeah, that's what I thought.

"Okay guys," Jasper says, always the reasoning voice, "I know we're all a little high strung at the moment, but let's just try to stay cool. We've got to work together or else we'll never be able to get away with this." I sigh and look out the window again.

We roll into Port Angeles just as night begins to fall. Rain pelts the windshield in large drops as we make our way to Jasper's ex-girlfriend's house. Alice lives with her sister, Angela, in a quaint little slice of suburbia just north of the city limits. The neighborhood is nice, really nice, and I subconsciously sink down farther into the backseat, knowing we stand out like sore thumbs around here. We really need to ditch this fucking van a.s.a.p.

"Next house on the left," he directs, pointing to a light colored townhome with a lit porch light. The sound of a helicopter's blades whipping in the wind can be heard in the distance. I sink down even more.

"Alright gentlemen," Jasper says as he grabs his bag of clothing from our earlier purchase. "I'd say it's been fun, but it hasn't." I smirk at his remark. He's got that right.

"Awww! I've been having a really great time!" Rose exclaims, truly offended that Jasper hasn't had a nice time listening to her little impromptu backseat concert.

"Can we leave her here too?" I suggest and Emmett turns around in his seat with a mean scowl on his face.

"I'd come near leaving you here sooner than I would her!" he barks out and I cross my arms over my chest.

"I see where your loyalty lies," I hiss. The roar coming from the helicopter is getting closer and I decide to shut my mouth to hurry this along.

Just then, a petite young woman with jet black hair, steps out onto the front steps. Jasper's face contorts into a blinding smile. I roll my eyes, knowing deep down that this was the prize on the other side for him; the reason he decided to join in on the escape.

"Jazz?" she asks surprised, popping open an umbrella and stepping out from underneath the shelter of the townhome's porch.

"Ali!" he shouts back and takes off sprinting towards her. It's like a scene straight out of _The Notebook_, taking place right in front of our very eyes.

"Can we split now?" I ask and Emmett shrugs his shoulders. Rosalie is glued to the window, tearing up at Jazz and Alice's little reunion. What a sap!

Before Emmett has time to throw the van into reverse and back down the driveway, things take a sudden turn for the worse. A bright, white spotlight appears right above our heads. The helicopter is still a little ways off, but they're close. Too close.

"Fuck! What do we do now?" Emmett shouts; his face pale with fear.

"Jello shots!" Rose suggests happily. Shit! Shit! What are we going to do? What am I going to do?

We've been caught.

"What's going on, Jazz? What are you doing here? How did you get out?" Alice asks, clearly confused by what's taking place around her. Neighbors are starting to come out onto their front porches to see what all of the commotion is about.

"We busted out," he tells her and she gasps, her mouth making an 'O' shape like a fish taking on water. "I'll tell you more about that later, but right now, I've got to go!" He begrudgingly tears himself away from Alice and begins running back towards the van as the helicopter appears over the rooftop of a house three doors down.

"Wait!" she yells, chasing after him, "I'm coming too!" Fuck! No way! One woman on this trip is enough.

"This is not a road trip, you twits! You don't know what you're asking for!" I cry out. Are the women around here really that dense?

"Edward, you don't understand. If you had someone special here, you'd want her to come too," Emmett says, touching a sore spot. I can feel the tears prickle behind my eyelids. I'm immediately rendered speechless, memories of the past flooding my mind.

"Alice, do you think we can take your ride?" Jasper suggests, interrupting my inner turmoil. It's the best idea he's had all day. That's exactly what we need; to ditch this ride and get the hell out of dodge. Quickly.

"The Bug?" she asks biting into her lip and looking over at the pastel yellow Volkswagen Beetle sitting in the driveway. There's no way in hell we are all going to fit in that thing.

"Who's minivan?" Emmett asks as he points to the caravan parked in the open garage. I hadn't noticed it before, but it would be perfect.

"That's my sister's! Here, let me grab the keys!" she says and darts back up the stairs and into the house, before anyone has a chance to respond.

Jasper snorts, "I didn't know she had it in her." I shake my head, smiling at the prospect of getting rid of the police van.

"I think she wants to have_ you_ in her," Rose says as serious as day. Even I can't help but to laugh.

The helicopter looms closer, shining its light on each house and its accompanying backyard. I know we'd be caught by now if it wasn't for the rain obstructing their view.

Alice runs back out of the house, this time sans umbrella, and unlocks the beige van's doors. The headlights flash and it makes a loud beeping noise. We all follow her suit and jump in. It smells like feet and kids.

Alice cautiously backs the van out of the garage, checking her mirrors and adjusting her seat. Does she not understand that we are kind of in a hurry here?

"Could you hurry up already?" Emmett asks, taking the words right out of my mouth, and Jasper hurls a soccer ball from the front floorboard at his head. "Never mind," he revises.

Alice drives slowly, it feels like crawling, and when she finally pulls out of the neighborhood I'm surprised that we actually just got away with that.

"They're going to see the van, figure out who lives there, and track us," I say. By the looks on their faces, they couldn't agree more.

"Like I said, we'll cross that bridge when we get there," Emmett says with a sigh and I lean against the door, trying to stay out of his and Rosalie's space. She may as well just climb onto his lap if she's going to sit that close.

"Well, where to?" Alice asks and Jasper grabs a hold of her free hand and brings her knuckles to his lips, planting a small kiss there. She smiles sweetly at him. At least she isn't as annoying as Rose!

"Forks," I tell her and she gives me a thumbs up.

"What's in Forks?" she asks nonchalantly. Everyone looks at me, waiting for my answer.

"My one shot at freedom," I tell them and lay my head back against the headrest.

"So wild and free, so far from meeeeeeee-," Rose sings off key, breaking back into her infinite knowledge of Def Leppard lyrics. This is going to be a long night.

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**And now we have five! Who wants in the van?! I'm sure there is plenty of room for us all. I may have to sit on Fugitiveward's lap though! hehe**


	7. Outtake: The Trial

**WOW! We are beyond overwhelmed with the love for this little story! Over 100 reviews and still going strong. And what better way to celebrate and express our thanks than an outtake?! So we hope you enjoy a look into a bit of Edward's past and maybe help answer your questions.  
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**And extra special hugs to MC for being our last minute beta! We love ya!**

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Outtake: The Trial

_**Washington State vs. Edward Cullen**_

_**Day 1 **_

"Edward Cullen, on behalf of the State of Washington and the King County District Court, it is my duty to inform you that you have been formally charged with first degree murder in the untimely death of a one Ms. Tanya Denali on Tuesday, the ninth day of March, 2010. This charge is considered a maximum offense and the Prosecuting Attorney's office has recommended that the death penalty be an applicable punishment for this crime. Do you understand the charges as they have been read to you, Mr. Cullen?"

"Yes," I croak out. I'm still bewildered by the course that my life has taken over the last couple of weeks.

"Good," the judge says before removing his reading glasses, "We'll set court for nine in the morning where the PA's office will call their first witness."

As I exit the building, surrounded by my entourage of police officers, of course, I lower my head and avert my eyes. The lights from the media coverage are blinding. I wonder if they'll let me wear sunglasses tomorrow.

_**Day 2 **_

"In your written statement, you acknowledged that you had overheard Mr. Cullen and Ms. Denali arguing in the days leading up to Ms. Denali's death; is that correct, Ms. Webber?" the Prosecuting Attorney, Aro Vincent, asks as he glides across the courtroom in his expensive suit.

It's the line of questions that will either make or break me, or so my lawyer says.

All twelve sets of the juror's eyes are glued to the feeble old woman sitting on the witness stand. She nonchalantly rubs the strand of pearls that hang around her neck between her wrinkled fingertips before nodding affirmatively.

"Yes, that's right."

"And for the record, were you able to understand anything that was being said?" Again, Ms. Webber nods.

Funny. She never understood a word I said when I politely asked her to stop opening our mail when it had been stuck into her mailbox by mistake.

"Unfortunately," she tells the court, sadly. "Mr. Cullen and Ms. Denali had been yelling a lot. The night before she was murdered, Mr. Cullen called her a 'liar' and told her that she wasn't worth the air she was breathing." Juror number six, a woman in her mid-twenties, shakes her head before jotting down a few notes about Ms. Webber's recollection. There is no doubt in my mind that she is ready to stick the needle in my arm.

"And on the day of Ms. Denali's death, did you see or hear anyone other than Mr. Cullen enter the apartment that the two of them shared?" Ms. Webber sighs dramatically. She reaches for the tissue that Mr. Vincent conveniently has in his breast pocket and blows her nose into it.

"No, no one other than Mr. Cullen," she confirms.

"And you're absolutely certain of this?" Aro asks, positioning his hands on his hips.

"Absolutely."

My shoulders slump down and I let my head fall forward. I can't believe this.

_**Day 3**_

"Please state your name for the record."

"Laurent Becerill." His French accent is evident; his addiction obvious in the whites of his eyes. He's no better than she was.

"And how did you know Ms. Denali?" Aro asks, sifting through a manila folder.

"I was an associate of Ms. Denali's at Yorktown Records and Music Management. She had confided in me just two days before her death that she feared for her life and was worried that Mr. Cullen was going to hurt her in some way."

"And did Ms. Denali happen to mention why she was afraid of Mr. Cullen?" Laurent nods his head, taking a sip of his complimentary glass of water before he continues.

"She did. She said she had told Mr. Cullen that she had wanted to end things, and that he hadn't taken the news very well."

Lies. All lies.

Who the hell is this guy? I have certainly never seen him around. And that rubbish about Tanya wanting to end it? I was the one who was done with her and the nonsense she was spewing to me every day.

_**Day 4**_

"So what you're saying is that the _only_ fingerprints the Seattle Crime Lab was able to find in the apartment, that Ms. Denali's body was discovered in, belonged to Ms. Denali herself and Edward Cullen?" Aro questions.

"That is correct," the Chief Medical Examiner, Peter Clarke, testifies with certainty. Aro shakes his head in disgust and crosses back and forth in front of the jury.

"And how long did you say you've worked for the Seattle Crime Lab?" I roll my eyes. Ridiculous.

"Twenty five years, sir."

One of the guards places a pair of Ray-Bans on the bridge of my nose, and we make our way out into the glaring sunshine and relentless cameramen. The crowd has multiplied in the past four days and there are people standing around with posters proclaiming their thoughts on my future.

'Musicians get a bad 'rap'!' reads one of signs. I'd high five the bloke holding it if I didn't have these metal restraints clasped around my wrists.

"Edward, Edward!" my name is called over and over, hoping I will look up. I won't. I learned in the beginning that it just makes it worse. The media is relentless. They are just looking for their "money shot." And I'm not going to give it to them.

I continue to ignore them as I make the long trek back to the awaiting van that will take me back to my cell, sighing heavily.

_**Day 5**_

Closing arguments are delivered passionately by both sides, as they recap their perception of my case.

"If neither side has any more witnesses, I am discharging the jury for deliberation." The judge looks to both attorneys' tables then to the jury. "We will meet again once a decision has been reached."

I don't feel too comfortable going into deliberation. Though I know the truth, even I am starting to question what took place; the Prosecution's case is solid...or so it seems.

Things are not looking good for me.

_**Day 13**_

I am so fucking dead.

Six days.

Six days the jury has been deliberating over the bullshit that they were fed during my trial. Six grueling and mentally exhausting days. Six. Days.

"Why did it take so long?" I ask my attorney as the jury takes the stand. He sighs and tells me that these types of things take time and to try and be positive about it.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" the judge asks, glancing at the paperwork that the bailiff has just handed him.

"We have."

"And how does the jury find Mr. Cullen on the count of first degree murder in the death of Ms. Tanya Denali?"

"Guilty."

My knees become weak and my head begins to spin.

"And what punishment has the jury recommended for the defendant?"

It's hot. I am going to pass out.

"Death by lethal injection."

I don't hear another word before my body hits the floor of the courtroom.

My life is over.

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**Thanks again to everyone for helping us get to 100 reviews! Who knows what you'll get when we get to 200 (Nope, we are not above bribery. We do write criminals after all!). **

**RFM and Owl **


	8. Chapter 6

**Thanks again for all of your support and we hope that you enjoyed a little bit of Edward's trial. Especially for those of you who thought he was just tossed into the slammer! **

**And now, back on the road with this crazy bunch of characters…  
**

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Chapter 6

"I need to pee!" Rose exclaims just twenty miles outside of Port Angeles.

"Are you really that thick?" I ask her without thinking. I already have my answer though.

"No way! If we pull over, we're going to be picked up quicker than a stripper in a frat house. No pun intended, of course," Jasper says, grinning at her from the front seat.

"Huh?" Of course she doesn't get it. I guess we should just be pleased she'd stopped singing for the time being.

With much dismay, Alice pulls into the parking lot of the next BP station. According to her, 'girls have got to look out for one another' or some shit like that. Emmett gets out first and Rose crawls out behind him, Jasper following suit.

"You guys aren't coming?" she calls back to us when she realizes no one is following her. She starts doing a little dance, holding her crotch, and her act catches the attention of the guy pumping gas into his Camaro at pump one. No, and that's exactly why I'm not going in the store; a parade of escaped convicts marshaled by a blonde stripper would just be screaming for attention.

"No, we'll take a leak around back. Less surveillance cameras," Jasper informs her and heads to the darkened backside of the building. Emmett and I are not far behind.

Rose comes back to the car about five minutes later, a plastic sack full of snacks in hand.

"Slim Jim?" she asks, waving the leathery piece of beef in my direction. I shake my head at her.

"Had enough meat in prison?" It's the first time that Rose has let on that she knows who we are. Everybody laughs at her quip and I'm beginning to think that she may not be as dumb as she looks….or acts. I lay my head against the headrest and close my eyes. Not giving validation to her stupid attempt at humor.

"We're about five miles from Forks, Edward," Alice says from the front seat and jolts me from my nap. I've unintentionally fallen asleep against the window and the right side of my face is now numb. I scrub my face with the palms of my hands and glance outside. Streetlights fly by, casting orange shadows on all of the evergreen trees that flank the roadside.

"Great," I say, my voice still raspy from sleep. Rose gives me a big toothy grin and Emmett squeezes her knee, reminding her of his presence.

"Do you want to grab a bite to eat with us before we drop you off?" Jasper asks and I think for a few seconds before I answer. Is going out in public as a group really our wisest choice? Just before I turn them down on their offer, we pass the city limits sign that reads 'Welcome to Forks, Population 3,349'.

"Sure. I think we'll be safe here." What's the chance that anyone in this Podunk town has cable TV anyways?

We pull into the parking lot of the only open restaurant in thirty miles: the Forks Diner. There are only two other cars in the parking lot, and there is a family of four walking with one of those to-go containers in hand.

The diner is rundown. One of the front windows has been broken and repaired using Duct-tape, half of the neon letters above the door are burnt out, and the interior isn't in much better shape.

"Have a seat anywhere you'd like! I'll be with you in just a minute," a middle aged woman croaks out from behind the counter. She's clearly a veteran smoker.

We find a booth large enough to seat our group in the corner, near the loos. I squeeze myself into the middle and Alice joins me to my left, Rose to my right. The green vinyl seats are torn and there are used napkins scattered across the table top.

Maggie, our waitress, brings us a couple of sticky menus and takes our drink orders. I order hot tea only to be informed that they 'don't serve that here'.

"A glass of water is fine," I tell her and she smiles, twirling a piece of bleached blonde hair around her fingertip. Not surprising, Rosalie orders chocolate milk.

"What's wrong with you, man?" Emmett hisses across the table, "There is beer on the menu and you choose to order _hot tea_ _and_ _water_?" he says, imitating my accent. I roll my eyes at him and shrug my shoulders.

"If they asked to see an I.D., I didn't want there to be any trouble." Emmett thinks for a moment before nodding, more understanding of my selection. This is a habit that we're going to have to get ourselves into from now on. Thinking like a fugitive is our best chance of survival.

"How long have you been in for?" Alice asks, trying to make polite dinner conversation.

"Two years," I tell her and she smiles kindly back. I already like her much more than Rose. Jasper places his hand on top of the hand that she has perched on the tabletop.

"What for?" she asks naturally. I choke a bit on my water, not expecting her to be so nonchalant about the subject. Emmett reaches over and beats his hand against my back.

"You alright man?" I nod.

"Murder," I tell her, taking a much smaller sip of my water this time. Before I'm able to continue, Maggie is back at the table to take our food orders. I can't help but notice how large Alice's eyes are now as she quietly, almost timidly, orders a house salad with grilled chicken.

"Baked salmon and a jacket, loaded," I tell Maggie and she looks at me strangely.

"He means a baked potato with all the fixins'," Jasper explains to her, having picked up on much of my terminology over the course of our stay together. I smile gratefully at him.

"Where you from, hun?" Maggie asks, writing down our order.

"England. London to be exact." She smiles sweetly and pouts her lips a little bit in a blatant attempt to look sexy. It doesn't work.

"What brings you to Washington then?" It's a natural question, so I guess I should get used to answering it. I decide to omit the last couple of years and revert back to my original intentions.

"I'm a musician. I moved to Chicago when I was nineteen to play the music scene there. I met a couple of guys from Seattle who talked me into coming out west with them and playing some shows. I got hooked, met an agent out here, and just never went back." Maggie literally swoons at my admission and her eyes darken. Thankfully, the bell above the door rings and alerts her that she has new customers she needs to attend to. She quickly repeats our order before turning her attention to the young couple that has just walked in, but she makes sure to take one final glance at me before she retreats.

As soon as she walks off, the group lays into me.

"Edward and Maggie sitting in a tree, k-i-s-," Emmett sings, acting every bit of the immature tosser that he is. I punch him in the shoulder.

"Awww, I think it's sweet. You might be in a better mood if you took her out back and had your way with her. Ya know, let out some aggression!" Rose suggests and I roll my eyes at her. Thank God she's hot, because she has nothing else going for her.

I can't help but notice the young man that has just come in has been looking in our direction a little too much for comfort. I sink down farther in the booth. He looks to be around twenty-eight and has dark black hair and a russet complexion. I can see that he is well built, as his muscles bulge out from under the armbands of his gray t-shirt. The woman he is sitting with is very beautiful. She has long chestnut brown hair and big doe eyes that I can see from across the room. She smiles often and touches the young guy's arm frequently. It's obvious that these two are in a relationship.

When Maggie approaches their table, the bloke's attention is diverted for a few moments and I consider telling everyone that we need to make a mad dash; something about the way he looked at us tells me he knows more than he's letting on. After placing his order, he excuses himself from the table and goes outside.

"Did anyone else see the way that guy was staring at us?" Alice whispers, confirming my thoughts.

"Where is he now?" Emmett asks, turning around to look and finding only the young woman at the table. She is sipping on a malt that the waitress has just placed on the table in front of her. She looks up from her sweet treat and I sink farther down into the booth seat. Way to be inconspicuous, Em!

Maggie returns to our table a few minutes later with our food in hand, and we all tuck into it right away, trying to get the hell out of here as quickly as possible. I'm halfway through my salmon when I hear the words I've been dreading since noon.

"Everybody freeze! Put your hands in the air where I can see them!" the young man shouts as he busts through the back door, gun in hand. There's an officer in full uniform, much slimmer than him, to his right. His girlfriend lets out a loud yelp and the sound of glass shattering against the diner floor resonates through the room.

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**And…we have our very first cliffie! Don't hate us too much! We did give you an extra outtake this week. Hehe. So what do you think of Edward's backstory? And who wants to make some guesses on the future of this bunch?**


	9. Chapter 7

**Love to Midnight Cougar for making our story pretty and all of you for your kind words!**

**Since we left you at the precipice last week, let's just jump right into, shall we?**

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Chapter 7

Crash!

As the glass hits the floor it brings me out of my shock and my brain starts formulating a plan. I look up to see both the officer and the bloke from the date whipping their heads around to the sound of the gasp, both with guns still drawn. Interesting.

I nod to Emmett and pick up my knife. I bet the gang is glad I ordered salmon now. Yeah, I guess we've become a gang. That's what happens when you're in a minivan for hours on end. Emmett takes advantage of the distraction, scans the room and leans closer to the fire extinguisher near the doorway next to us.

Rosalie and Alice let out scared shrieks. I'm pretty sure the boys are rethinking letting them tag along now. The noise from the girls causes the men to turn back towards us. And with one quick swipe of his arm, Emmett grabs the extinguisher and pulls the pin out spraying the white foam at our pursuers.

Chaos ensues with more screaming from the girls and the waitress, and yelling from the guys. Alice is running to Jasper, Emmett grabs Rosalie, and we all head to the front door.

Both of the men are already wiping the foam off their eyes. There is no way all of us are going to make it out the door and to the van in time. It's time for Plan B.

As everyone else heads towards the door, I take a couple of very long steps, careful not to slip in the foam that is all over the floor around me. I swiftly reach out and grab the girl that had both men so preoccupied earlier.

I pull her back flush to my body and raise the knife to her throat. She is struggling against me and lets out one scream before I can clasp my hand over her mouth.

"Jake!"

"Jake", her date, turns around still wiping foam off his face. I know there is no way in hell he can see clearly. His eyes are red from where the foam hit him and the rest of the foam is still dripping down his face. He won't chance a shot knowing that he could possibly hit his girl.

The cop then starts walking my way but he slips on the foam. Neither of them are at full capacity, and I have them just where I want them.

"Bella?" the cop practically sobs. And I just shake my head at him. Pathetic.

"No one better make any more sudden movements or the girl gets it," I tell them menacingly, slowly backing away towards the door. I put the knife a bit closer to her skin and she trembles violently in my arms. It's then I feel the warm tears, which must have started to run down her face, drip on to my hand holding the knife.

I continue to walk backwards, dragging her with me. I take a quick glance behind me and see the van door open and the engine running. Just a few more steps and we are in the clear.

I can't believe it.

I quickly look forward and see both men standing in the doorway, guns aiming straight at my head. I duck down behind the girl as best as possible and fling our bodies in to the van. Jasper shuts the door just as the gunshots can be heard ricocheting off of the vehicle.

Damn, that was close!

The inside of the van is a cacophony of voices all talking, yelling, and giggling at once. The adrenaline rush is over and the reactions from the group is fascinating, to say the least.

Emmett has the pedal to the metal and is repeatedly pounding his fist on the steering wheel. "That was fucking awesome," he says over and over again. "Holy fuck, what a rush!"

Rosalie is riding shotgun and she cannot stop laughing. I think she's trying to speak, but I have no idea what the hell she's saying. It's pretty much rubbish from what I can hear.

Jasper is holding Alice in his arms and is rubbing his fingers soothingly through her hair. I think she might be hyperventilating; her breathing seems quite erratic. I hope the quiet words he's saying to her can help calm her down.

And that's when I hear it; the quiet sobbing coming from the beautiful creature pressed up as far as she can go against the side of the van. Bloody Hell! I am going to have to make this right. Well, as much as that is possible.

"Hey," I say quietly reaching out my hand tentatively, like you would a stray dog. Her whole body flinches and recoils into the seat, her eyes wide with terror.

Yeah you git, you just held a knife to her throat moments ago. Do you really think she'll let you touch her voluntarily? This is going to be tougher than I originally thought.

"Look, I'm sorry," I tell her in the most reassuring voice I can. "We just really had to get out of there and there was no other option."

Her eyes are telling me there is no way in hell she believes me. Her arms are wrapped around her legs and she's got them pulled tightly to her chest.

"My name is Edward, by the way. You're Bella, right?" I'm really trying here. She looks so scared; I have to try to make some kind of amends.

"Go to hell," she spits out at me, the venom in her voice as clear as day.

I decide to leave her be for now and focus on what the fuck we are going to do next.

"Hey, Em," I shout over his excitement and Rosalie's babbling. "Where we headed, mate?"

"Hell if I know, man," he yells back. "I just jumped back on the 101 and started driving."

"Well, we should probably think of a plan," I say, leaning in closer to the front so that I don't have to yell.

"We should probably ditch this vehicle ASAP," Jazz adds in from the back. "You know they got our plates now."

The noise in the van is eerily quieter. Everyone now thinking of how we can get out of this mess.

"Well, you can just let me out here," an unfamiliar voice says from the back. "I'll just walk down the road to the Budget Inn."

We all gaze at her in shock. The girl I kidnapped at knife point seems extremely calm, cool and collected all of a sudden. What the hell got into her?

"Like hell you are!" Emmett shouts at her from the driver's seat. "Do you think we're stupid? If we let you out, you're just going to call your cop friends on us. I don't fucking think so, sweetheart."

"Emmett!" Rosalie admonishes him, "You don't talk that way to a lady!" Oh yeah, the frickin' "Girl Code" or whatever that shit is.

"I promise I'll just go home. I won't call my dad or Jake." Wait a minute! Did she just say her dad?

"Uh, your dad?" I ask her, already dreading the answer.

"Yeah, my dad is the Forks Chief of Police. He was at the diner."

Oh shit. This just went from bad to worse. We are so screwed. I should have known that the cop with the handle bar mustache just wasn't any old, small town friend of this girl.

Of all the girls in this Podunk town, I gotta kidnap this one? Sheesh, Cullen. Now is not the time for your inner Humphrey Bogart to take over.

"And the other guy, Jake, is your boyfriend, right?"

"Yes, he is," she states as a matter of fact. "And he is also on the police force. He's a good marksman too."

"Perfect," I sigh and lay my head back against the seat in resign. This day just keeps getting better and fucking better. "Alright, here's the deal folks, we'll park this van off on to the side of the road. Pick a secluded spot, somewhere there is lots of tree coverage, okay Em?"

"Got it, Eddie," he says, already scanning the road ahead for the perfect spot.

"Then, Bella here will show us where this motel is, and Jazz and Alice? You two, will check into a room for the both of you. Your honeymoon suite or whatever. The rest of us will pile in as soon as the coast is clear. We can figure out our game plan in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan, man," Jasper says rubbing his hands together. Bella remains eerily quiet and reserved, but Alice is looking decidedly more chipper at the sudden mention of alone time with Jazz, and Rose has stopped her incessant blathering for the time being. Thank God.

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**Well, the gang's all here now! Was it how you expected it to all go down? Leave us some love and your thoughts on what you're itching to see for this group! We love hearing all of your theories and speculations.**

**~RFM and Owl**


	10. Chapter 8

**Thanks everyone for taking this journey with us every week. Your reviews make us smile, laugh and sometimes shake our head (in a good way, lol). But no matter what, they always inspire us to continue writing our crazy thoughts and ideas! And then there's MC, who takes our crazy thoughts and helps us become a cohesive story. So again, thank you ALL!**

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Chapter 8

I grab hold of Bella's wrist and squeeze it tightly, letting her know I mean business.

"You're going to walk with me, holding hands, as if you can't contain your happiness at being with me. You understand?"

She nods mutely. This girl better cooperate, I think looking out from the wooded area that has us hidden from passersby.

As I watch Emmett and Rosalie practically skip along towards our new room at the Budget Inn, I take hold of Bella's hand and clutch it for dear life. We cannot have any more mishaps on this leg of the trip.

"Ready?" I ask her. "Do not make this difficult on yourself. You won't be so lucky next time." I threaten her but even I don't quite believe it. She really wasn't a part of this grand scheme, not that I regret taking her. She was our only way out of that mess at the diner.

I look down at her, my green eyes piercing her coffee colored ones. I feel a flicker in my groin at the beauty I see.

Damn, Cullen. Now is not the time for this. But seeing as I haven't been with any woman for more than two years, it's kind of comforting. Albeit, not the greatest moment for it.

I try to calm the war in my groin with thoughts of getting us to the hotel room unscathed. Taking a deep breath, I grab even tighter to Bella's hand and start walking across the parking lot.

She walks along with me, her head looking towards the ground. Her hair is covering the sides of her face and I'm glad that no one can see her clearly. I should have thought that part through more carefully.

We reach the hotel room and walk into something that looks like an Austin Powers Shag-a-thon. Jasper and Alice are huddled together on the bed, their arms wrapping around each other in a tight embrace. Their faces look permanently attached from the amount of snogging they're doing. Emmett has Rosalie pressed up against the wall on the far side of the room. His hands are roaming all over her body and her moans are echoing throughout the room.

I let out a huge sigh and tell Bella to take a seat. The only place that seems safe is the little table and chairs by the window. I pull the brownish yellow, seventies drapes closed and lock the door. I sit down at the table and wonder how the hell this could be any more awkward.

Deep down I know we can't stay here long. Even staying the night seems like a bad idea, but I can't think of anything better. I get up from the table and pace the room, wearing a pathway through the green, shag carpet.

The moaning from Rosalie is getting out of control and now she's throwing in some words I'd rather not hear. Add to that Emmett's cries of "Who's your daddy?" and I've had enough.

I switch on the television set and search for some news to drown out the noise. Jasper and Alice don't seem to mind, but then again they are in their own little world as well.

"Well, this is uncomfortable." I sigh and sit down next to Bella again. I know that's her name, even if she won't admit it. There's no way Chief "Daddy" was calling her by something other than her name.

Bella finally looks up at me. "Yeah, what's up with the Porno Twins over there?" she asks nodding towards Em and Rose.

I snort, "You really don't want to know." And I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

Just as things start to seem a bit normal, well as normal as possible considering the fact that I kidnapped this girl, I hear the words I've dreaded since turning on the TV.

"We interrupt this program to bring you some breaking news," the newscaster reports.

Suddenly it's silent in the room, all of us tuned in and awaiting our fate.

I watch in horror as I see the one person that can incriminate us all standing at a podium in front of what I believe is the local police station.

The bottom of the television confirms my fears…

Chief of Police, Charlie Swan.

Shit, shit, shit. This is bad; this is very, very bad.

Chief Swan begins to speak and I turn to look as I hear the small gasp coming from behind me. Bella's eyes are wide and tears are brimming as she hears her father's voice say, "Earlier today, my daughter, Isabella Swan was taken from me and her boyfriend, Officer Jacob Black, by knifepoint at the Fork's Diner. I implore you, that if you are the one who has her to give her up immediately. I will pay or do whatever you want to bring her back to me safe and sound."

Chief Swan begins to get choked up, and when I look at Bella I see the tears streaming down her face; her hands clutched together tightly at her chest. Fuck, I so did not need this emotional baggage right now.

"As a community we need to band together and stop this criminal from getting away with such a terrible act. Please be on the lookout for a group of five; three males and two females. We are unsure if they are armed or not, but we do believe these men are indeed the same prisoners who escaped earlier today…"

I turn off the television as the Chief goes into a full description of each of us, but me most of all. Looking around the room I no longer see the jovial mood of the earlier brothel. Now it's more of a funeral home.

"Well mates, I think we are in desperate need of a conference," I say as we gather in the back of the room and the girls congregate near the front.

"Watch her," I command the girls and they nod their heads solemnly.

As the boys and I start going through our options I position myself so that I can keep an eye on Bella. I trust the girls but they are not the badass type of girls that can handle it if she decides to bolt. Well, Rosalie might be able to take her. I snicker at the thought and both Em and Jazz look up at me questioningly. I just shake my head.

"Boys, this has been fun but I really believe our best option is to split up now," I tell them, hoping they will go along with this. I feel terrible at getting them caught up in this mess.

"No fucking way, Cullen," Emmett practically growls at me. "We started this together and we'll end it together. No one is leaving anyone behind. Especially you."

"He's right, Ed. And you're the one they have their eye out for the most. When the waitress from the diner decides to share your story, they are going to know exactly who you are."

Great, I didn't even think about that while I was talking to her. I'm sure with that information and the Chief's description of me they will remember the Guitar String Killer from over two years ago, considering my trial was all over the media at the time.

I let out a huge sigh. "Well if this is the way it's going to be, there's just one thing that I need to do…by myself."

I guess it's time to tell them about Tanya.

* * *

**Who wants to hear about Tanya?! I know you've all being speculating on the "did he/didn't he". So chime in the comments. We're about to see who's right! **

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	11. Chapter 9

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**Don't forget, we don't own Twilight we just made them jailbirds!**

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Chapter 9

"Tanya and I met at my first gig in Seattle," I begin, recounting my story from the very beginning.

"She approached me after the set was over and told me how much she really enjoyed the show. As it turned out; she was a publicist for some of Seattle's biggest and up and coming acts, and offered to help me get my foot in the door with some of the top music execs. Our relationship was strictly business for about three months, and things were seemingly going great. I was booking gig after gig and before I knew it, I had more money than I ever imagined."

I take a deep breath and continue, "Since I didn't have any family or friends in Washington State, the only person I could think to celebrate with was Tanya. She came over to my apartment one night, and about six bottles of wine later, things got a little heated. We both woke up the next morning…a little hungover and a lot indecent, if you know what I mean." I glance at the girls who are all listening intently and roll my eyes. No matter how old they are or what the situation is, women love gossip.

"So what happened?" Jasper asks. I pinch my nose and sigh before continuing.

"Well at first, we tried to ignore what had taken place, but after doing that for a couple of weeks, to no avail, we decided to give 'us' a chance. She moved in three weeks later. There was just some kind of undeniable chemistry between us, you know?" Everyone but Bella nods their heads. Yeah, I bet they do know…considering they were about to have an orgy less than five minutes ago.

This isn't easy for me. It's the first time that I've opened up to anyone about Tanya since the day she died. I have to take a few calming breaths before I muster up enough courage to go on.

"Our relationship was a bit rocky at first; neither of us really knew how to make the romantic and business aspects of our relationship coincide. We did eventually get it sorted out, but it took time, lots of arguments, and even more make-up sex." Em and Jasper both laugh at my admission, as does Rose.

"Were you in love?" Alice asks, flipping onto her belly on top of the mattress. She cradles her chin in between her palms and props her head up.

"I thought I was at the time. Tanya was absolutely gorgeous, into music, and loved sex just as much as I did. What more could I have wanted?" I ask with a shrug. Maybe it's a typical male response, but it is the truth.

"Not a damned thing man. Not a damned thing," Em admits and motions for Rose to join him on his lap. She doesn't think twice before doing so.

"But unfortunately, things went a bit pear shaped."

Alice frowns, before asking, "What do you mean?"

"Give me a minute, and I'll tell you." Bella snorts, but quickly recovers. Right, wouldn't want to get caught actually enjoying the company of your kidnappers.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, about six months into our relationship, Tanya began to act differently. Money started disappearing from our joint bank account and she started keeping weird hours. Things just weren't adding up."

"Was she cheating?" Rose asks with wide eyes. I shake my head. Fuck, why does this have to be so hard and why do they have to keep interrupting?

"That was my original thought too, but a guy approached me at a show one night and asked if Tanya was still selling. I was confused at first and asked him what he meant by 'still selling'. That's when he told me that he had purchased some coke from Tanya about a week prior and had run out; he needed to get his fix. Soon."

When I look up, everyone is avoiding making eye contact. "Did you confront her about it?" Em finally asks, breaking the silence.

"Not initially, no. At first, I didn't want to believe it could be true; I thought Tanya and I had something special, but eventually, I couldn't overlook the signs any longer and I just…"

"You just what? You just killed her? Yeah, that's right! I've seen the news and I'm not stupid! You guys are fucking lunatics!" Bella yells and leaps from her chair. Her outburst is sudden and unexpected, and takes all of us by surprise. She sprints as fast as she can towards the door, but Alice intercepts.

I never would have expected that.

"Let me go, you midget!" Bella shrieks as she shoves at Alice. Alice may be small, but she is strong and holds her ground until I am able to make it over to them. I grab Bella around the waist, ignoring the instant hard on in my pants, and pull her away from the exit and flush against my body.

I then pick her up bridal style and carry her towards the chair she'd been sitting in. I probably look like a caveman, but I could care less. If I'm going to get caught and thrown back into the slammer, it sure as hell isn't going to be thanks to a small town, Police Chief's daughter.

"You jackass! Just let me go! I won't be as easy to kill as that Tanya chick was; I won't go down without a fight!" Bella scratches at my forearms, trying to get me to release her. Emmett, Rose, and Jasper snicker in the background.

"Don't make me tie you up. I'll do it, you know? Now you just sit right here and be a good little girl and no one will get hurt." Before I am able to back away, Bella reaches over and snatches a dingy looking lamp off of the end table closest by and slams the base of it into the right side of my forehead. She kicks with all of her might and I stumble backwards, blood trickling down my face.

"Fuck!" I cry out, trying to apply pressure to my new abrasion; my head pounding. Rose and Emmett take over for me, pull the linens off the bed, and use them to fasten Bella to the chair. She kicks and screams the whole time, but after realizing she's stuck where she is for the time being, she eventually calms down. Also, Rose's threat to gag her seems to have ensured there will be no more loud outbursts from Bella as well.

"God Alice, that was the sexiest thing you have ever done!" Jasper exclaims, pulling her to him and planting a long kiss on her lips. Does no one care that I'm bleeding to death here? I groan, pulling my t-shirt over my head and pressing it to my forehead.

"Here, let me take a look at that," Rose says as she saunters over towards me.

"Uh, no offense, but I don't usually seek out strippers for sound medical advice," I tell her, backing away. Rose giggles, but doesn't stop walking my way.

"I was in nursing school before I became a stripper; I think I can handle a little, itty bitty cut, you big ole baby." Everyone's eyes grow large.

"You were a nurse?" Bella asks skeptically. It's the question that we're all thinking.

"Of course! I have a great asset right here," she says, tapping the side of her head with her index finger. "I just have a better asset right here." This time, she's pointing to her massive tits. And really…who could argue with that? "Now Emmett, would you please go to the front desk and see if they have any antiseptic ointment and some butterfly bandages?"

"Um…sure."

After Rose cleans my wound, I pop a few extra strength Tylenol before chancing a glance at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. The gash is not as big as it feels and Rose seems to have done a decent job mending it. Maybe it'll heal without leaving a scar, but I guess that's the least of my worries at the moment.

When I walk back into the room, five sets of eyes are trained in my direction.

"Um…what?" I ask, flopping down in the chair next to Bella. She rolls her eyes, turns her head, and stares out the window.

"Well, are you going to finish telling us about Tanya or not?" Alice asks impatiently. Fuck. I thought almost bleeding to death on a motel floor would offer me some reprieve, but I guess I should have known better. I did the only thing I knew to do in this situation: I deflected.

"In the morning, but right now, I have a raging headache and could use a little sleep. Now, if you promise not to try anything stupid, I will untie you for now. It'll be quite difficult to sleep like that," I say, turning to face Bella.

She shakes her head, but doesn't even turn to look at me.

"Fine, have it your way."

Alice and Jasper take one bed, while Rose and Emmett take the other. I'm left with the lumpy sleeper sofa. It's still a step up from my prison cot.

I finally doze off somewhere around one in the morning, only to be interrupted moments later.

"Edward!" Bella hisses from the chair and I open just one eye. My head is still pounding and my vision is a bit blurry.

"What?"

"I have to pee." Of all things holy.

I sigh and wipe at my foggy eyes before standing up and walking over towards her. I quickly untie the bed sheets and Bella begins to stand up before I put a stop to that.

"No, you wait right here. If I let you go in there by yourself, you're going to try and escape through the bathroom window. I'm not a nitwit." Bella's eyes grow large.

"You're not going to go in there with me, are you?" she exclaims quietly, looking a bit on edge. I smile and roll my eyes.

"No, but Alice is." I give her a stern look to indicate there is no room for negotiation.

Bella frowns for a moment, and then nods in defeat. "She'll do."

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**We know, we know. It's not all the answers you'd hoped it would be. So come back next week when Edward finishes his tale. And let us know what your thoughts are in the reviews!**


	12. Chapter 10

**Thanks to Midnight Cougar for going the extra mile each and every week and adding those finishing touches to our beloved words. Our story just wouldn't be the same without her! **

**And thanks to you all who read, review and rec this crazy little story. We love you guys!**

**Just a reminder, we don't own Twilight. We just make murderers out of them…or do we? Let's see what Edward has to say about that…**

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Chapter 10

Blinking my eyes and trying to wipe the crud from them with the back of my palm, I turn my head only to be bombarded with a massive headache.

Did I get drunk last night? It's been a long time but I definitely remember the feeling.

As I turn over on the lumpy mattress I'm lying on, I take in my surroundings and feel a crick in my neck.

The dark hotel curtains and the sounds of multiple sets of breathing throughout the room sends it all crashing back to me.

I sit up quickly on the sleeper sofa and feel sick to my stomach as my vision blurs and my head spins. I see Bella stirring slightly from her confines in the chair. That can't have been comfortable but she still seems just as secure.

As I raise my hand to my head, I feel a small bump under the bandage Rose used to doctor me up last night.

Wow, what a day it was. I knew it would be a bit insane breaking out of jail and being on the run, but had no idea just how easily the plans could take a turn for the worse.

As quietly as possible, so as not to awaken any of the other sleepy heads, I make my way to the loo and shut the door quietly. It's not until I turn on the light and look into the mirror that I realize I look as bad as I feel.

Shit! I do not look pleasant. The right half of my forehead is bruised with a nice purplish color and my eyes look a bit bloodshot and tired.

Well, nothing I can do about that now. Sighing heavily, I take a leak and then wash my hands and face being extremely careful of the forehead area.

Walking out of the loo, I see a pair of eyes staring at me from the chair by the window.

"Morning," she whispers looking at me a bit, dare I think it, sheepishly? Well, well, well. Maybe she feels bad about my head injury. I can't even think that though, she might just be playing me again.

"Do you need to use the restroom?" I ask her without any of the niceties. I am not going to fall for her charms. My head is proof enough that she has some gumption in her.

But man, does she look good. That sleepy, just woken up appearance looks pretty good on her. Bella's hair is messy, her face is flushed, and I can feel a familiar stirring begin down below that does not need to make itself known right now.

And, then she speaks. "Yeah, the bathroom would be great. But not with you." Well, at least that stirring deflates quickly.

"Well, my dear, everyone else is asleep so it's going to have to be me or wait. I promise not to look, though, if you want to go now."

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and then nods her head ever so slightly in an act of resignation.

I walk over to her slowly, my head and ribs still sore from my last encounter with this doe-eyed vixen. As I bend down to untie her feet she says the words I am not expecting to hear.

"I'm sorry."

I look up into her brown eyes and see a small tear starting to form. All I can do is stare at her in shock. "For your head," she continues quietly. "I hope it doesn't hurt too bad."

Man, I must look terrible for her to want to apologize. I nod my thanks at her and untie her hands.

In the bathroom I let her do her business with my back facing her. I can't even imagine how humiliating this is for her.

Coming out of the bathroom this time, the bright light from the adjoining room hits me square in the eyes. The rest of the gang is awake and stirring from their various locations around the room.

"Do you promise to behave this time?" I ask turning towards Bella with an arch in my eyebrow. Ow, that hurts. Reminder to self, don't do _that_ again. "I won't give you another chance if you blow it."

I hear grumbles and an intake of breath from the crowd behind me, but after her apology I want to give her one more opportunity to be a little less confined.

Bella nods her head solemnly. "I promise," she replies and I motion towards the sleeper sofa as Bella sits down.

Once all of us are done trying to look as respectable and clean as possible, we gather on the assortment of furniture to discuss our plan.

Or so I thought.

Alice is the one who breaks the awkward silence and I immediately groan at the direction she takes the conversation.

"So Edward, are you ready to tell us what happened with you and Tanya?" she asks, looking way too perky for the morning and the circumstances. "We want to know the rest of the story."

I look around to see five pairs of eyes anxiously awaiting my story. This is the hardest part, the end of my time with Tanya and life as I knew it.

I pull my hand through my hair, tugging harder than necessary. "Fine," I take a deep breath and continue. "I was pretty certain that Tanya was selling coke and who knows what else. When I finally confronted her about it she denied it vehemently. When I wouldn't back down and told her to quit the charade, that I knew for a fact she was selling, she went a bit mad."

The room is quiet as I look around me, readying myself for this final admission. The truth about Tanya's death.

"She started to scream at me. First about trusting her, and our feelings for each other. How could I accuse her of something like that? She loved me." I shake my head at her own stupidity, even then. "When I tried to calm her down so that we could have a rational conversation she yelled obscenities and started to throw whatever she could get her hands on at me."

My eyes immediately go to Bella at this point, thinking how her fight or flight mode also caused furniture to be flung at my head. She's looking at her hands, as her fingers are picking at her cuticles. She doesn't look up when I stop talking.

"So what did you do, man?" Emmett asks with a bit of sadness in his voice.

"I left," I answer him. "I packed a bag and went to a motel for the night. I wasn't going to stay with someone who was using me for my money and wouldn't even admit it or have a discussion about it."

I glance up and see my audience listening attentively and continue, "I went the next night to tell her that it was over. I got to the apartment early in the evening, knowing that Tanya would most likely be home. I didn't call her beforehand, not wanting to give her any more advantages over me."

Alice and Rosalie are nodding their heads as they listen, be it all the more subdued this time around. Bella has finally looked up at me again, and this time I can see pity in her eyes.

I don't want their pity. But I haven't even told them the worst part yet.

My fingers are pulling my hair even harder now in an effort to try and stay in the present. Telling this story for the first time is a lot more difficult than I thought and I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. My head starts to throb even more with the added stress of this confession.

I need to get this over with and continue to plow quickly through to the end, "I put my key in the lock but there was no need. It was unlocked and as I turned the handle and opened the door I called out her name. There was no answer and I made my way towards the living room wondering where she was. She had to be here, the door was unlocked.

"As I walked towards the other side of the couch, that's when I saw her. Lying on the floor in a thick pool of blood. I ran to her and knelt down next to her, running my hands through her bloodstained, strawberry blonde hair and trying to wake her up. All thoughts of our fight were gone from my head as I repeatedly cried her name and shook her gently. But there was no help for her. She was gone. She was…dead."

I hear crying coming from one of the girls but I can't bear to look at them and press on, suppressing my own sob that is trapped in my chest.

"I gingerly picked up her head and cradled her in my arms as sobs began to wrack through my body. There was a lot of blood around her neck but I paid no attention to it, pressing her firmly against my body. It wasn't until the police arrived that I noticed how she was killed."

"With a guitar string," Jasper says quietly, filling in the end of my woeful tale that I could no longer continue.

I nod once and take my head in hands, resting them on my knees. I'm emotionally a wreck and trying to hold it together. I will not lose it today. We don't have time for that. But I can feel the gut-wrenching pain of all that I lost that fateful day making itself known throughout my exhausted body.

I feel the hands on my back rubbing soothing circles between my shoulder blades and I can't take it anymore. The sobs once again take over leaving my whole body heaving. Tears and snot are running down my face and I can't bear to even see who is being so kind to me.

"Here," comes a quiet voice next to me and I see a tissue under my nose.

"Thanks," I reply looking up to see Bella with tears of her own dripping down her cheeks. I reach out instinctively to wipe away her tears with my thumb. And this time she doesn't move away.

Our touch is so soft and gentle; our eyes are locked in their own kind of embrace. But Bella breaks away suddenly, leaving me feeling the loss of connection. It's then I notice that it is Alice who has now stopped with the soothing gestures on my back.

I awkwardly take the tissue and begin to wipe my face, heading towards the bathroom and some privacy for a moment.

After I get my shit together as much as possible, I head out into the awaiting gloom. I know this was probably not the story they were expecting and I notice immediately that the atmosphere has changed dramatically.

This time it's Bella who asks the question on everyone's mind.

"So what are you doing in Forks?"

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**Yes, we leave you with more unanswered questions. Sorry! But we did give you a big piece of the puzzle today and many of you are so happy to have guessed right, we're sure. So now the question is…who dunnit? Sound off in the reviews!**


	13. Chapter 11

**Huge thanks goes to Midnight Cougar for her fabulous review on Rob Attack. We are so honoured to be there with the best! Be sure to check out their Fanfiction Fridays where MC and the gang give awesome reccs each and every week. I am so proud to call those ladies my mates!**

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Chapter 11

"I think that's enough story time for now," Rose says, interrupting me before I get the chance to say anything, and giving Bella a pointed look in the process. "We need to get some food in us before we do another therapy session."

Emmett's stomach rumbles loudly, confirming Rose's plan and we all let out some of the tension with laughter.

Alice seems like the safest bet for being inconspicuous and after getting directions from Bella about the closest food place, she's off.

The rest of us turn the telly back on, hoping against hope that no one knows our current location. After a few minutes of nothing being reported about us, we lower the volume and use it as background noise to our own conversations.

Emmett and Jasper are regaling Rosalie with some of our more hilarious adventures in the big house together. And Rose is lapping up every word.

"So, Em here has Tiny all but convinced that he's an amazing tattoo artist," I hear Jasper recount, with the biggest grin I've seen on his face in a long time. Man, does it feel good to be carefree for a bit.

Emmett is laughing so hard as he tries to add in his side of the story as well. "Yeah, I finally get him to sit in a chair in the rec room and pull out my makeshift tattoo needle. Did you know they have a sewing work detail in prison?" Emmett asks Rosalie with a big guffaw.

Rose shakes her head but she too is giggling and they haven't even got to the funny part yet.

"Yeah, no tape allowed for convicts but sewing needles are laying about for the taking. Go figure," I add from my spot by the telly, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Gotta keep those jumpsuits looking in tip top shape!" Jasper says, and Em and I snicker, remembering the time Emmett was stuck on sewing duty...he got more stitches in his thumb than the fabric.

"Well, anyway," Em continues, able to hold in the laughs a little. "I bring up my needle and ink pen and that's when Tiny starts to freak out. This big, ole guy starts quaking in his shoes."

"And when Em quickly gives him his tattoo it isn't quite what Tiny had asked for," Jasper says with a smug smirk, tears are almost streaming down the boys faces by now.

"Yep, I tattooed the word "mom" on his arm. You know, 'cause he was a big baby about the whole thing and all." The three of them cannot stop laughing. Rose is doubled up with her arms on Emmett's shoulders and both their bodies are shaking so hard.

I chuckle along quietly but my heart just isn't in it. I look over to the bed and see Bella, sitting with her back to the headboard and her knees tucked into her chest. She's inexpressively watching the whole exchange through vacant eyes. Seeing but not really "seeing".

Cautiously, I make my way over to the side of the bed next to her and sit close to but not touching her. I stretch my legs out and cross them at my ankles, just enjoying the luxury that is a nice firm mattress where my legs don't hang off the edge for a moment.

Still looking straight ahead, so as not to scare her, I start talking quietly. "Bella, I'm truly sorry that we dragged you into this mess."

Nothing. Not a single movement. But I do hear her breathing pick up, so I know she's listening. I continue on.

"I know I said this yesterday, but I really want you to know how sorry I am. I never wanted any of this. Most importantly, you getting involved."

The slight tilt of her head is the only sign I need to keep the conversation going. Well, the one-sided conversation, that is.

"That seems kind of idiotic to say now, but it's the truth. When we were in that diner and I thought I could end up back in jail, I lost it. It was fight or flight and the flight part wasn't working out so well. The only thing I could think to do was use you to help me get the hell out of there and keep my freedom. I'm honestly sorry."

I hang my head in shame, knowing that it's a long shot at forgiveness right now. But I had to try. I'm not a violent bloke, but being in the slammer for two years teaches you how to survive. And I did what I had to do, hopefully someday she'll understand.

For some reason it is really important to me that she does. I can't put my finger on it but I've felt drawn to her since the moment I saw her. Not necessarily in a physical attraction kind of way, but more in a human way. Just watching her actions at the diner, she seemed so sincere and loving.

Don't get me wrong, she's beautiful. And my body has been reacting in a physical way since her back was pressed up against me in the getaway. But being without someone to love and take care of, and not having it returned in the same way for ages, has made that even more essential.

The soft brush of Bella's fingertips against my own causes my breath to catch and my heart to quicken. I chance a glance over to her and see a sad smile on her lips. Be it ever so slight.

"I understand," is all she says and she gives my fingers a slight squeeze. I look up into her eyes and see the tears starting to form again.

But before I can do anything about it a tiny, pixie-like whirlwind bursts through the motel door.

"I'm back!" Alice sing songs as she comes in, essentially disrupting any connection Bella and I were having. "Who's hungry?"

Emmett practically throws himself at Alice as he yells out, "Fuck, yeah. Gimme some of that."

Luckily we now know Alice can take care of herself and has lightening fast reflexes. She spins her little body and the food just out of Emmett's reach.

Which was a big mistake.

Emmett lets out a low growl and gives Alice an intimidating look, which in turns causes Jasper to jump up to her defense. Not that she needs any. Alice just lets out a tinkling little laugh and shakes her head walking away from the big hungry man in front of her.

As she walks past him, Emmett grabs a bag out of her little hands and takes it to his spot next to Rosalie. Alice just stares at him in astonishment.

"What? I'm an ex-convict," he says with a smirk. Rosalie smacks him upside the head and Emmett looks sheepish. "Sorry, Alice," he mutters rubbing his head and handing her back the bag.

Wow. Looking at Em and Rose interact, they are really getting along well for only knowing each other less than a day. Maybe they _are_ meant to be. I shake my head in bewilderment.

Alice proceeds to divvy up the grub and we all tuck in, unwrapping the greasy breakfast sandwiches from the paper. It's not my ideal meal but living in the States for so long has broadened my taste buds.

And anything is better than prison food.

We lapse into silence, enjoying the meal and the company, but I know it's not gonna last long. Guess I better beat them to the punch.

"I know you all have been dying to hear my reason for choosing Forks, so I might as well get this story told," I tell them all, hoping that with their mouths full of food they won't be as likely to interrupt.

I take one more bite of sandwich, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and continue. There is silence in the room except for the sound of chewing as I take another breath.

"About six months after I was thrown into the slammer, I met a guy named James out on the yard. He was an average bloke; nothing really special about him, so I didn't pay him any mind when he approached the weight bench I was lying on. I went about my business; finished my reps, grabbed my towel, and was about to walk over to join Jazz and a group of guys at the basketball court when James stopped me dead in my tracks."

"How so?" Alice asks, nibbling on a piece of rubbery bacon. All five sets of eyes are trained on me; each one of them waiting for what I'm going to say next.

"He called out my name; my full name. Like I said, I'd never seen this guy before so I couldn't quite figure out how he'd know my full name. When I asked, he told me that he remembered seeing my picture on the news during the coverage of my trial and at the time, that seemed like a really good probability to me. There were tons of cameras at my hearing, so I guess I really shouldn't have been surprised. I was planning on letting it slide when he said something really crazy. He said, 'It's a real shame you got pinned up for killing that bitch. Laurent is probably snorting his way through a line of coke right now, loving that he got away with the crime of the century.'" Rose gasps and Bella quirks an eyebrow.

"What does that mean? Who's Laurent?" Rose asks, tucking a leg underneath her.

"I immediately recognized the name; the bastard testified against me at my trial. He was a coworker of Tanya's and alleged that she had confided in him about how bad our relationship was a few days before she died, which was complete bullshit. I thought it was strange; Tanya had never mentioned his name to me before and the things that he told the judge couldn't have been any further from the truth. I knew that I was innocent, but until James put two and two together for me; I had no idea of what had actually taken place."

"So you're saying this Laurent guy killed Tanya and framed you? Why?" Bella questions skeptically, her breakfast pastry hardly touched.

"Well, as it turns out, James and Laurent used to be roommates in Seattle and were heavy into the drug scene. Laurent met Tanya through work; that part is true, but it was the shit he got her into after hours that led to her death." My fists involuntarily clinch on my lap, a million different emotions surging through my body. Tanya may have not been the 'one', but she was still someone for whom I once cared deeply. She didn't deserve to die.

"According to James, Laurent talked Tanya into pushing some coke at a few of the shows she was promoting. Even today, I still don't know what drove her to do it; we weren't having financial problems or anything like that," I shrug, "but regardless, something caused her to do it because just a couple of weeks after she started working for Laurent; she got stiffed on a deal for five grand. Five grand! When Laurent asked Tanya to pay up, she couldn't come up with the money, so he gave her a week to make it right. The day she died was the seventh day; when he showed up at our apartment to collect and she didn't have all of the money; he killed her. After he testified, Laurent moved in with his mom in Forks to make sure that no one ever put two and two together." When I look up, Alice is in tears and Jasper has moved to comfort her on the bed, Rose has her head resting on Emmett's shoulder, and Bella is staring intently out the window.

I'm about to make a joke to lighten the mood when our worst nightmare comes true:

"We've got your room surrounded," a voice blares through a bullhorn from out in the car park. "Come out with your hands up or else we'll be forced to come in after you."

Shit! We've been cornered. "Now what do we do?" Alice shrieks out, her eyes wide. All of us are stunned…well, all of us except for Bella. She sighs heavily, ties her loose hair up into a messy ponytail on top of her head, and stands up.

"Guys, I don't know why I'm doing this, but I've got an idea…"

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**ACK! Another cliffie! Hehe. Gotta keep you guys guessing a bit after all the loose ends we are tying up around here. So once again…theories on what the new plan is!**


	14. Chapter 12

**Thank you so very much for the kind reviews, even when we torture you with cliffhangers! And we have been having a bit of fun in the BF facebook group. You should be thankful this is not a Reader inspired story! Hehe. (fanfic is still the bane of our exsistence for this link. So message me at Nicole Robsfuturemate or Little Wise Owl and we can add you!)  
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**As always, we don't own Twilight it owns us.**

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Chapter 12

"What!" I exclaim, not believing the words that have just rolled out of Bella's mouth. She has to be kidding. "You've got a plan?" I reiterate, making sure I've heard her correctly. This is not the time to toy with us.

"Yes, I have a plan, but if we don't hurry up, we're not going to be able to pull it off." The rest of the gang eye each other warily; could she be for real? We don't have long to figure it out before the officer on the megaphone starts again.

"This is your last warning! Come out with your hands where we can see them before we have to come in there!"

Before we have time to realize what is happening, Bella picks up the phone and dials the front desk clerk. Jasper makes a futile effort to pull the phone cord from the wall before it's too late, but Bella shoos him away. What the hell is she doing?

"Yes, this is Bella Swan, Chief Swan's daughter. Yes, _that_ Chief Swan. Listen, I am in Room 112 and I need for you to get in contact with the officers in the parking lot and give them a message for me. Can you do that for me?" she pleas, sounding every bit of the kidnapped victim that she is. This girl is a fantastic actor; there is no doubt about that.

Blue lights flicker in the room through the dingy sheer curtains. It's like a scene from Law and Order or Criminal Minds.

We're so fucking dead.

Sirens wail into the damp Washington air. I feel like I'm living in a movie, but any hope of a hero rushing in and saving us is farfetched at best, even with Bella doing who knows what on the phone.

"They have a gun to my head and I'm so scared!" she exclaims dramatically into the phone, pretending she is begging one of us to put the gun down. "Please don't do this! I'm too young to die!"

Rosalie is having a hard time containing her laughter and throws a hand over her mouth to keep her chuckling in.

I'm not as pleased with Bella's act. If this doesn't work, not only are we going to wind back up in the slammer, but any chance of freedom I ever had is going to be out of the window when they put 'Attempted Murder of the Police Chief's Daughter' on my record.

I quickly make a mad dash at Bella and snatch the phone from her ear, slamming it back down on the receiver so hard that it breaks the handset in two pieces.

"What?" she asks, looking a bit surprised by my sudden movement. "My dad would never let anything happen to me, even if it meant endangering the whole country by letting you guys run loose."

"What the fuck are you thinking? You're going to get us all locked up for attempted murder!" I shout, pacing back and forth and raking a hand through my hair. This is not good! Talk about putting the last nail in the coffin!

"Oh my God, do you think I am going to go to jail?" Alice exclaims, shooting up from the bed. She's clearly panicking; the gravity of the situation we've found ourselves in is finally starting to kick in. This wasn't some random road trip! How many times did I have to remind her of this?

"Alice, it's okay, baby," Jasper says, standing up and stepping over to comfort her. She pushes him away.

"Don't touch me! What am I going to do in jail? They'll kill me in there! I'm all of five foot nothing!" she cries out, falling dramatically onto the bed. I wish these fuckers hadn't tagged along right about now.

But then something absolutely amazing happens; the sounds of sirens grow distant! I'm not stupid enough to take a glance out of the window to make sure my senses are not deceiving me, but I can't say the same for Rose.

"They're gone!" she shouts as she takes a peek out of the window. At any moment, I'm expecting a sniper bullet to shatter the glass and penetrate her right, dead center in her forehead.

"What?" Emmett asks skeptically, getting up to check to see if what Rose has just said is true. "Shit guys, they really did leave. The parking lot is empty!"

"Of course, they are gone! My dad just saved my life," she says with a hint of irony. "So what are we waiting for? C'mon!" Bella leaps to her feet. She doesn't have to say any more for Alice, as she is already in the process of shoving every remnant of our stay into a couple of plastic bags.

We gather up our belongings, Emmett taking the brunt of our luggage, and follow Bella out of the door, not really having a plan of attack. It's not a feeling I am at all comfortable with. I'd like to have some insight as to where we could go. Travelling blindly by foot, with so many people, could be a recipe for more disaster.

"So now what?" Alice asks as Jasper bends down and lets her climb onto his back. We'd been aimlessly walking down the desolate road that lead us to the motel for about twenty minutes. We couldn't be but a half of a mile away. There were no lights in sight and the sound of running water could be heard just beyond the tree line on the right side of the road.

"This way," Bella commands, leading us through a small opening in the brush.

We walk for hours, out of the eye line of the road, only taking short breaks to relieve ourselves and a quick lunch. Nibbling on the leftovers from breakfast, we formulate a plan to walk as far as we can possibly get to have some distance from the motel.

As it begins to get dark, we cautiously creep down a steep embankment, making sure not to slip. Down below, illuminated only by the moon, is a creek bed.

"I say we camp here, and then head out in the morning," Jasper suggests, dropping Alice off of his back. They both take a seat on a large boulder and Emmett drops our bags of clothes to the ground.

"Camp, are you kidding me?" Rose all but shouts and we all roll our eyes. "In what?"

Once again Bella is the one providing a bit of hope to the situation. "I brought the bed sheet from the hotel. We can tie it up over that branch over there and make a tent of sorts. It'll at least get us through the night." Bella is now pointing to a nearby limb that has fallen down and gotten caught in a nearby tree, creating a bridge between the two.

I sigh before getting to work with the rest of the guys on setting up a shelter of sorts.

Nearly an hour later, a few of us are gathered around a makeshift campfire, pretending like we're not a group of fugitives on the run. Rose and Emmett have already retreated to the tent, leaving only Alice, Jasper, Bella, and myself to enjoy the cool air. Jasper is sitting on the ground, his body between Alice's legs and she idly rubs his shoulders.

Bella digs at a bit of dirt underneath her fingernails and I stare into the dark blue and vibrant orange flames in front of me. How did we wind up here?

"So what gives?" Jasper asks Bella out of the blue, startling us all a bit.

"What do you mean?" she asks coyly, not looking up from her hands. Women! This isn't rocket science!

"Why are you trying to help us? I mean, we kidnapped you; it's not like you chose to be here. Why didn't you just let them catch us, and save yourself?"

Bella shrugs. "I don't really know. Even though it is against my better instincts, something makes me believe this idiot," she says and motions in my direction. Wow. This is news to me.

"You do?" I ask skeptically. The tender wound on my forehead is a constant reminder that it wasn't that long ago that she was calling me a murderer and trying to assassinate me.

"I guess," she admits, rolling over onto her knees and standing up. "I mean, I'm not saying you're completely innocent; I'm here, right? All I'm saying is that I don't think you're as bad as the media made you out to be. That being said, I've got to go pee. Alice?" Alice takes the hint and stands up, walking with Bella towards the edge of the tree line and just out of sight.

"That's a surprise," I blurt out to Jasper, not taking my eyes off of the area the girls have just disappeared into.

"Definitely. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she likes you," he teases before standing up. "When Alice gets back, tell her I'm lying down and to come join me, okay?" I nod my head and he disappears into our makeshift tent. It's not two minutes later that the sound of Jazz's nasally snoring infiltrates the tranquility of the moment.

The girls return a short while later. I relay Jasper's message to Alice and it doesn't take long for her to retreat to the tent as well, leaving only Bella and I around the campfire.

Bella sits back down on the ground and rolls her jacket into a tight ball before placing it behind her head, on top of a rock, as a pillow of sorts.

It's quiet for another twenty minutes or so and I am almost certain that Bella has fallen asleep when she speaks up.

"Hey Ed-Edward?" she asks quietly, her voice trembling. I immediately sit up and glance over to her, taking notice that she is now in the fetal position. I don't think twice before sliding over to where she is lying. Without saying a word, I snuggle up against her, placing my arm on the ground behind her and she nuzzles up against me, resting her head on my chest.

"Thanks," she mumbles softly. I turn my head and let my nose rest in her hair.

"It's the least I can do." Bella yawns and snuggles closer. Her breathing becomes much softer over the next few minutes and I'm certain she is asleep.

"Thanks for believing me," I whisper to no one but myself, subconsciously hoping that she hears me. For some reason, her opinion means more to me than it should.

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**Awww! Now we are getting somewhere with these two! But what about that pesky boy friend?! Uh oh! **

**And of course, reviews are greatly appreciated! **


	15. Chapter 13

**Moving right along this week…big love to Midnight Cougar for making our words even better! **

**And as always, we don't own Twilight we just put them on the run from the Law!**

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Chapter 13

The next morning, I wake up with more than just a stiff back. Bella is snuggled up closely to my side and her head is still resting on my chest; right where she had placed it the night before. My body hasn't failed to take notice of just how good it feels to have a woman within arm's reach again. I sigh and bury my face into her mahogany brown hair, taking in the subtle aroma of her strawberry shampoo. She smells just as incredible as she looks.

"Ahem," interrupts a female voice from somewhere behind us and I turn my head to see who is putting a damp cloth onto my momentary bliss.

Rose.

Fucking Rose.

"What?" I hiss, a little more aggravation in my voice than usual.

"And just what do you think you are doing?" Rose asks, walking closer towards us, and taking a seat on a broken tree stump. I roll my eyes and slowly lift Bella's head off of my chest, and gently place it onto the ground, doing my best not to wake her. Bella sniffles and pulls her knees up to her chest, turning onto her right side. Thankfully, she doesn't wake up. She looks so peaceful in her slumber, I'm glad she's getting some rest.

"She was cold," I inform her, stretching my arms out above my head. I groan when my mind detects how rigid my body feels. Hell, my old cot back in the pokey was softer than this! And on top of my soreness, my head still hurts.

"Looked like you were taking advantage of her while she was sleeping, if I do say so myself," she says, with a smirk evident in her tone. She was taking the piss out of me, but regardless, I didn't appreciate her intrusion.

"Shut up, why don't you?" I chide, yawning as I pull myself up into a seated position. Bella mumbles a bit, her hand involuntarily slapping at a bug that has landed onto the exposed skin of her left arm. Rose giggles.

"We need to get going. The rest of the gang is packing up our things. Jasper thinks if we hang around here for long, the cops will swarm in." I nod; he is most certainly right.

"Yeah, that's probably smart. Why don't you get Bella up while I go find a place to take a leak?" Rose nods, and I pull myself to my feet before heading off to the tree line.

A little while later, after gathering all of our belongings, we climb the embankment back towards the roadway. When we reach the top, Emmett motions for the group to continue following him in the direction we were walking in last night. Everyone follows but me.

"You coming?" Alice implores, being that she is the first one to notice that I am heading in the opposite direction.

"No, I've still got some business I need to take care of. You guys go ahead without me. We will connect later." I then look at our beautiful brunette hostage turned accomplice. "Have Bella lead you to somewhere safe and let her go back to her family." Jasper and Emmett shrug their shoulders in unison, but nod anyway. Now that they know why I'm here, for Laurent, they are more willing to let us separate. I give them all a small wave as I turn my back towards them and begin to walk down the rain dampened stretch of roadway by myself.

I'm not a hundred feet up the road when I hear the sound of trainers hitting the pavement behind me.

"Wait!" Bella calls out. I don't know why I'm as surprised as I am when I realize that it is Bella who's followed me. I stop and do a one-eighty.

"What are you doing?" I ask, just as she makes it to my side. She shrugs her shoulders and stares at the ground, biting into her lip. She shuffles her feet a few times then glances up at me.

"I don't know," she admits. I sigh. If things happen to go badly with Laurent; I don't want her getting caught up in anything that she has no business in. She could get hurt. Before I can tell her just that, she starts talking again.

"I guess I figure if something happens like last night, you won't have a shot in the dark of getting away without me." I can't help but to smile at how innocent she is. I am a hardened criminal, innocent or not, and can take care of myself with or without little Miss Bella Swan.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," I say, but she just brushes off my warning and regards me thoughtfully with her lovely, deep brown eyes.

"Maybe, maybe not, but there is only one way to find out. Now come on, I have a friend that lives just a couple of miles away and we can use his computer to see if we can find a current address for Laurent."

We walk for an hour before a small wooden cabin appears out of nowhere; almost like an oasis in an Evergreen desert.

"Who lives here?" I ask as we bound up the front steps and she pulls a key out from underneath a flowerpot sitting on the porch. She's obviously done this before.

"Jake," she says, twisting the key in the lock. Just as she begins to pull the screen door open, I reach out to stop her.

"Jake? As in Jake, the boyfriend? Jake, the cop?" I ask, not believing that I've just fallen into her trap. She is trying to get me caught!

"Yes, that Jake, but he isn't here and won't be finished with his shift for another four hours or so. We can use his computer to track down Laurent and then I can delete the history before we go. Trust me; he doesn't know the slightest thing about computers." After thinking about what she has just said for a few seconds, I finally shake my head, and against my better judgment; follow her in.

Jake's house is exactly what I expect; Maxim magazines on the coffee table, oversized leather furniture, and a gun safe in the living room. I roll my eyes. Bella leads me down a dark hallway towards the bedroom and in there, beside an unmade bed, sits an old desktop computer.

Bella pulls out the wooden chair at the desk and I take a seat on the bed, shifting uncomfortably on Bella's boyfriend's bed. The fact that she called him 'friend' earlier doesn't escape me.

Bella hastily begins to type words into the computer and I stare in awe. It would appear she knows a thing or two about computers.

"How are you going to find Laurent's current location?" I ask her, the skepticism in my voice at full force.

"I just need to look up the witnesses from your trial and get his last name," she states as a matter of fact. "You can Google it, Edward. It's very common. After that, it's a piece of cake." She turns to look at my incredulous expression and giggles.

I continue to watch her fingers in amazement as it takes her all of two seconds to find what she is looking for. She quickly pulls a sticky note off of the stack and jots down the information.

"Got it. He lives downtown, about ten miles from here. I know just the spot." Bella deletes the history on Jake's computer and then stands up, pushes the chair back under the desk, and ushers for me to follow her out.

"Now, we could walk, but that would take a good part of what daylight we have left or," she says, grabbing a set of keys out of the top drawer of Jake's dresser, "we can take…this!" Off of the key ring, dangles a silver Mustang pendant.

In the driveway, underneath a dingy car cover, sits a pristine, 1967, cherry red Ford Mustang. Bella uses the key to unlock the door and hops into the driver's seat. I shake my head before climbing into the passenger seat beside her.

"I can't believe you're doing this!" I yell over the roar of the engine as the car comes to life under Bella's control. Bella smiles demonically at me.

"I fucking hate this car, and when we get through with it, I want to drive it up to the coast, put it in neutral, and let it roll off of a cliff. Many times, I have taken a backseat to this car, but I'm not going to do that anymore!" she rants, steering the car out of Jake's driveway. The car fishtails a bit on the slick pavement, but she corrects it just in time and we head off in the direction of what I can only assume is downtown.

"Well, when things go tits up, you can always blame it on me. Grand theft auto is the least of my concerns," I tell her and she nods her head in agreement. Bella may seem like a hard ass, but deep down, I can see she's just a small-town girl who is getting to 'live' for the first time in her life. I can't blame her for wanting to go a little crazy when she has the opportunity.

We arrive at a nice, red brick home in the center of town a short while later. After checking to make sure the coast is clear, Bella parks the car out front and we hop out. I take another quick look around, scoping out my surroundings; you can never be too careful.

"This is it?" I ask, staring at the place in front of me. No matter how many nights I have dreamed about this very moment, the fact that I am standing this close to the truth of what happened to Tanya, on that fateful day, is still a bit offsetting.

"This is it."

I take a deep breath, suddenly not so sure of myself. What have I gotten myself into?

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	16. Chapter 14

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Chapter 14

Knocking on the front door of the house, I can't help but bounce up and down a little on the balls of my feet. Doubts are starting to plague me and this spur of the moment visit is starting to feel like a really rubbish idea.

How exactly am I going to get Laurent to confess? Or even get him to talk to me somewhere? What if he doesn't live here anymore? What if he pulls a gun on us? He is a cold blooded killer, after all. And why, oh why, did I allow Bella to come with me?

I sigh and tug my fingers through my hair until I feel a small hand on my arm. Bella.

She smiles up at me and I relax a bit. "It's going to be okay, Edward. Let's just take this one moment at a time."

I nod my head at her, but even though her words ground me a little more, I'm still nervous as hell.

"Hello, may I help you?" an older African American woman with graying hair says with a French accent and a tight lipped smile.

I think we just found Mama.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Becerill?" I ask, relying heavily on my English charm to help us get the information we need without suspicion. She nods her reply and I quickly get to the point.

"We are looking for Laurent. We heard that he moved back home and were hoping to speak with him."

"What's this about? Is he in trouble? Are you with the police?" The barrage of questions from her is a bit unnerving and so is her mention of the cops.

"Oh no, nothing like that," Bella steps in and once again saves my floundering arse. "We are friends of his from Seattle and just wanted to stop by and say hello while we were in the area."

Mrs. Becerill looks immediately calmed by Bella's sweet story and invites us into her home with the discouraging news that Laurent is not here at the moment.

"Please, sit down and have something to drink. Water, tea?" She looks at Bella and me as she gestures to an old, brown couch covered in crocheted doilies.

"Unfortunately, we don't have time to stay and chat, Mrs. Becerill." I smile and put my arm around Bella's shoulders. "We are just passing through and really had only a few moments to catch up with Laurent," I tell her, knowing that there is no way we should be here more than a few minutes.

With Jake's eye-catching Mustang out front we are sitting ducks in this small town. Even if he does still have a few more hours of work. Anybody patrolling the area would recognize that car in minute, I have no doubt.

"Ah well, he's at work at the garage until four today. And then he usually goes out with some friends from town. I'm not sure if I will even see him tonight," she says sadly. "He used to be such a good boy. But his friends now…"

She immediately stops herself and gives Bella and I the once over.

"You two look like such nice kids," Mrs. Becerill continues on and starts writing something down on a scrap of paper. "You should stop on over at the garage. Laurent needs more friends like you fine folks."

Ha, if she only knew the half of it, I think to myself and try to contain my chuckle. It turns into more of a grimace and Bella quickly puts her arm around my waist and smiles as she takes the paper with the address that Mrs. B is offering to us with a warm smile.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Becerill. It was lovely to meet you," Bella gushes as she leads us to the front door and down the path towards the car.

We both smile and wave our goodbyes from the car as Bella pulls out onto the street. After a minute or two we both let out the breath we didn't realize we were holding.

"We did it!" Bella calls out gleefully and I can't help but to feel relieved that part of our mission is done.

"You were wonderful in there," I tell her, watching as she drives away with the biggest smile I've seen on her face yet.

"I told you, you needed me." And she shoots me the sexiest smirk I have ever witnessed. I can suddenly feel my erection growing as I watch her driving this powerful machine with that look of triumph on her face.

Wow, Cullen. Not the time for this. We are still on the run from the law. And now wanted for kidnapping and grand theft auto, not to mention escaping from prison.

"So, do you know where we are headed?" I ask her, thinking of anything but her and that smirk and having her straddled on my lap, her hair falling freely down her shoulder…

Stop.

"Yep, I got you covered, Mr. Cullen." And there's that look again, she is so sure of herself right now. Let's hope it stays that way.

We lapse into companionable silence for a few moments and I again have to keep myself distracted. She is just so damn sexy and that smile lights up her angelic face. What I wouldn't do to have her writhing underneath me with that look of concentration she is displaying now. Or the smirk with her gorgeous, brown eyes looking up at me just before she takes my hard cock in her pretty little mouth.

Enough.

I cannot do this now. I need to put my mind to better use because there is no way any of _that_ is happening any time soon. Hell, the girl is just starting to like me.

Instead of this unproductive line of thinking I begin to plan out my meeting with Laurent. It's a much needed distraction. In more ways than one.

As my thoughts get underway, Bella turns on the radio and fiddles with the knob. She settles on what she deems a worthy station and when the next song begins she hums right along.

The song picks up its catchy rhythm and my fingers begin to move of their own volition.

_Hey where did we go,  
Days when the rains came  
Down in the hollow,  
Playin' a new game,  
Laughing and a running hey, hey  
Skipping and a jumping  
In the misty morning fog with  
Our hearts a thumpin' and you  
My brown eyed girl,  
You my brown eyed girl._

The song couldn't be more perfect if I had handpicked it myself. I look over to my brown eyed girl and see her watching me as well. Bella smiles at me, gives up on the humming and instead starts singing along.

_Whatever happened  
To Tuesday and so slow  
Going down the old mine  
With a transistor radio  
Standing in the sunlight laughing,  
Hiding behind a rainbow's wall,  
Slipping and sliding  
All along the water fall, with you  
My brown eyed girl,  
You my brown eyed girl._

She may not be the best vocalist out there but she is enjoying herself, tapping on the steering wheel, singing her little heart out. I can't help but to join in on the chorus.

_Do you remember when we used to sing,  
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da_

_Just like that._

_Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da_

We both have the biggest, cheesiest smiles on our faces as we start to sing to one another. Just taking in the pleasure of being a little light hearted for a moment. It's almost like we are out driving around on a date or something. During the song my own fingers start banging on the dashboard, her steering wheel and both of our legs.

After all of the Sha la la'ing and La te da'ing, we both burst into laughter at the silliness of it all.

"So you're a musician, huh?" Bella asks when my long fingers finally come to a rest on her thigh. It just so happens to be where I was thumping last and I don't make any motion to move it.

"Yeah, I used to be. But I haven't played in a long time," I sigh and try not to think about the reason for my unwanted hiatus.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I can imagine how hard it's been for you."

She is so sincere in her words and I can feel myself wanting to open up to her more. She has been nothing but understanding since the moment I shared my story only yesterday, though it feels much longer.

"After seeing Tanya like that, and with one of my guitar strings around her neck, it really put a damper on my desire to play. I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully get past it." It's almost like a dam has opened when I speak with Bella. My thoughts and desires come pouring out of me and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

Bella reaches down with her right hand and squeezes my hand that is still connected to her leg. I relish in her touch and can't seem to break the bond we have made with this simple contact.

"Besides," I shrug, trying not to get too emotional, we do have a killer to confront after all, "there's not much access to guitars where I've been staying."

I try to give her my signature crooked grin but I know it doesn't reach my eyes and that Bella can see right through me.

"What kind of music do you like? Who are your influences?" she asks me, obviously sensing my reluctance to get weepy again. And I greatly appreciate it.

This time when I speak I can feel my smile spread all over my face. Just thinking about these great musicians makes me happy. "Well, Van Morrison for sure. Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and, completely random but, I really love WuTang."

Bella laughs then incredulously inquires, "You're into rap?" Her face is priceless.

"I know, I know, I get that all the time. But I've been a wannabe rapper since I was little. Luckily though, I realized singer/song writer is probably a much better genre for me."

A few minutes later we pull up to the side of the local garage. I instruct Bella to pull the car over out of view of the main road and she complies.

"If I asked you to stay in the car, would you?" I ask as I get out of the car, knowing full well that this could get ugly inside.

Bella doesn't answer but instead gets out of the car without heeding my warning.

"Of course, not." It's almost like this girl has a death wish. Let's hope her luck continues to hold out.

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**A/N: Please help out a great cause and get some wonderful stories in the process! Just Google StandUp4Katalina (sadly, fanfic doesn't like links), read her story and donate. RFM86 will be donating an outtake from her fic "The Cupcake Queen", along with some very fabulous authors. Be sure to check it out!**

**The song in this chapter is Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, but I'm really hoping you already knew that! Also, Fugitiveward's musical influences are loosely based on the influences of the Britpack.**

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	17. Chapter 15

**Thanks to MC for her words of encouragement and constant help on this story. Thank you to all who read, review, recc and follow!**

**As always, we don't own the Twilight gang we just have fun with their characters!**

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Chapter 15

Before she gets very far from the car and is still out of sight from the garage, I grab hold of Bella by the elbow.

"I'm serious, Bella. We need to be careful and I really don't think you going in here is a good idea." The look on my face is practically begging her to reconsider.

"Edward, _you_ need to be serious." She looks pointedly at me as she continues, "Do you really think _you _going in there will be any help? He'll take one look at you and it will be all over. You really need me to help you this time."

Shit. She's right, why am I not thinking this through clearly? I had this all planned out in my head before we even left the prison. I look over at Bella and suddenly it becomes clear to me.

She's the one I've been thinking about all day, not my plan, and it's certainly not been _my_ safety I've been concerned with.

Who knew taking Alice up on her offer to eat at the diner would change my life so drastically?

The look of resignation on my face says it all and Bella continues, "Look, I'll go in there as a damsel in distress saying that I need help with my car. If I can get Laurent to come out here, maybe then you can get him to start talking. I'll take care of the rest."

I begin to question what the hell that last statement means when Bella heads towards the garage. Damn. I'm just going to have to trust her, which I've been doing since her phone call yesterday and she hasn't led me wrong yet. I sigh in defeat.

Looking around, I realize there is no way in hell I can be out here standing by the car in broad daylight. I walk around towards the corner of the garage and stand in the shadows for what feels like an eternity. There are a few vehicles around which I assume are the mechanics and I take my place, eyeing them with desire.

Just as I'm about to rush in there and drag Bella out of the garage any way I can, I hear voices coming close and my body jumps a bit.

"Wow, this is a beauty you have here," says a sleazy French voice I know so well. "I'm surprised you're having problems with it, it looks great."

I stay hidden under the small cover of darkness I have and listen, not wanting to give Laurent a chance to make a run for it.

"Yeah, my boyfriend usually takes pretty good care of it, but it started acting up today and he's away for a while."

Bella's tale seems to do the trick as Laurent is heading straight for the car and not paying attention to anything else. I continue to watch silently from my spot a few yards away.

"Let's take a look under the hood, shall we, babe?" Laurent asks taking a moment to give Bella the once over, his eyes resting for a bit too long on her perfect chest.

My fingers automatically clench into a fist and I have to fight the growl that is ready to escape my lips. He better keep his damn hands off her.

Luckily for me, and Laurent, Bella lifts the hood of Jake's car and Laurent gets distracted by the shiny engine inside. I watch as Bella takes out her cell phone and presses some buttons.

What the hell is she doing now?

She puts it back into her front pocket and signals for me to join them.

The long strides I take get me there in no time at all and I look at Bella with a raised eyebrow as I near her. She shakes her head and then points to Laurent.

I waste no time at all and quickly grab Laurent by the back of his shirt, turn him around and slam him into the front of the car, pinning him down by the shoulders.

"Hey arsehole, remember me?" I practically growl at him and Laurent's eyes widen in response. "Did you really think I would never find out?"

"What the…how are…how did you…?" Laurent splutters, unable to put any of his random thoughts into a coherent sentence.

"I'm asking the questions here you bastard. Tell me what the hell happened with Tanya." The hold I have on his shoulders tightens and when Laurent doesn't answer immediately I move one hand to his throat, flexing my fingers.

"I don't know what you're talking about, man. You're the one that killed her and went to jail for the crime."

My anger rises to epic proportions and I pick him up by the throat and slam him back down.

"Do not lie to me, Becerill. You and I both know I had nothing to do with it. Tell me what the fuck you did to her and why in God's name you did it?"

Laurent's face is starting to turn a reddish color as he chokes out, "Okay, okay. Let me breathe."

I loosen the hold I have on him minutely, just enough for him to speak and I glare at him to continue.

"That bitch had it coming," Laurent starts and my fingers are just itching to pummel him to death. The only thing stopping me is knowing I won't get the truth out of him if he's dead.

"She thought she could get her coke for free and that shit is as expensive as hell. She wouldn't pay up and tried to buy me off with sex. But damn, is she a good fuck."

I grab his right arm, twist it backwards and pin it to the car. Laurent starts to scream out in pain and I whisper menacingly into his ear, "Shut the fuck up and get to the damn point already."

"Okay, I killed her. I had guys after me too; there was no way I could let her go without paying the price. And the guys I get my shit from gave me no choice."

The anger courses through my veins and I start squeezing Laurent's neck with everything I have in me. This fucker messed up my life and killed Tanya for a bit of cocaine? Without me even being aware, I begin to bang his head against the engine of the car and yell obscenities at him.

It's not until I hear my name being called repeatedly and feel Bella's tiny hands on my back that I hear it...

Shit. Sirens. And they are really fucking close.

I look down at Laurent and see that his face is a purplish, red color. I let go and I hear a myriad of car doors open and shut.

"Put your hands on your head, and freeze!" a voice yells, and I do as I'm told.

It's time to think; there is no way I'm getting my arse hauled back to the slammer. I slowly turn my body so that I can see the cops and one of them yells, "I said, freeze!"

I hear the guns cock and I figure it's now or never to plead my case. "It's not me you want. It's him!" I nod my head over to Laurent who has now regained some of his mental and physical capacities and is slowly standing up.

"Shut the fuck up, Cullen!" a guy that looks unfortunately familiar yells. "Why in the hell would we want the guy that looks like you seriously fucked him up?"

"He's telling the truth, Jake!" Bella calls out and all of our heads whip over in her direction.

"Bella, he's a criminal. He'll say whatever he can to con you into believing him." Jake just shakes his head at her and I can see her determination grow stronger by the look on her face.

"Jake, I'm not a gullible little girl. I can tell when someone is honest with me or not."

"Come on Bella, you've just been kidnapped by this prick. I'm pretty sure you are not in the best frame of mind for judgment calls right now."

This is going nowhere fast and I can see I only have one way out of this mess. While Jake and Bella are arguing I look around without moving my head and find the perfect solution.

If I can only get to it. Bollocks. This is going to be harder than I thought.

When Bella starts walking closer to me and away from "safety" and Jake, I hear a collective gasp from the cops, mixed in with a groan or two.

I use the momentary distraction and the cover of Bella's small body as I hurl my body towards my one shot of freedom.

The Harley parked next to the shop. I just hope in God's name that it works and isn't here for repairs.

As I swing my leg over the bike, I hear Bella's strangled cry, "Edward," and force myself not to look back.

Luckily the bike roars to life quickly for me, but not before someone starts shooting. I hear the gunshots ricocheting off of somewhere a little too close for my liking but take off down the road, desperately wishing I could have taken Bella with me.

I sigh in defeat, knowing she is much better off with someone like Jake.

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	18. Chapter 16

__Chapter 16

_**BPOV**_

I'm stunned.

Absolutely floored.

While loose pieces of gravel and burnt rubber fly in my direction from the motorcycle's spinning tire, I watch in astonishment as Edward peels out of the parking lot and vanishes off down the roadway.

_He left me._

My heart sinks at the thought. I have known Edward Cullen for less than forty eight hours, yet something in my brain tells me I hadn't been placed directly in his path at the diner the other night by mere coincidence alone. Edward needed me in more ways than as leverage in a hostage situation; he needed me to be his sense of reason, the brains of this operation. Though he's a smart man, Edward let his emotions take over too easily and didn't always think his plans through in a rational way before he took action. There is no doubt that without my help, Edward would be buried underneath the jailhouse by now and no closer to justice than the day he was falsely convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

And in maybe an even worse way, I needed him. Before he came into my life, I lived my life day by day, just going through the motions. I went to work everyday to a job I didn't love and struggled to maintain a relationship I wasn't happy with just because it was what I'd always known and it was easier that way…then Edward Cullen walked into my life and turned my world upside down. Being on the run with him felt a lot like the feeling you get when you're about to step on stage to deliver a big speech in front of a crowd of unfamiliar faces: an abundant mix of butterflies and nerves, confidence and fear, excitement and apprehension all rolled into one. It was like a fuse that had been slowly burning deep inside me had finally reached the point of detonation. I felt alive when I was with Edward.

There was just something indescribable about the way he made me feel during these few days that makes his getaway sting much more than it probably should have.

Jake barks out commands to the other deputies to follow him, but my brain is having a hard time focusing on anything other than the way the motorcycle's engine dulls as Edward increases the distance between us.

_Would I ever see him again? Where was he going? Would he be okay on his own? _

"Bella?" Jake asks, pulling me out of my train of thought as he places a hand on my shoulder. My body involuntarily shudders under his touch.

"Hey, it's just me. You don't have to worry anymore; you're safe. I've got you," Jake says misreading my body's reaction and reaching his hand out again, this time grasping my upper arm. My eyes immediately dart to the point of our contact and I can't help but notice how Jake's touch does not affect me the way Edward's did…there's no spark, no heat from Jake.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, wanting to tell Jake I was safe with Edward; that Edward isn't the bad guy he's being made out to be, but my words fail to form. I'm not sure how long we stand there, Jake's hand on my arm and my eyes trained off in the direction that Edward has just disappeared in, but it is obviously long enough for Jake to begin to question my mental state.

"Listen, I think we need to get you to the hospital to get checked out. You know, just in case." Jake suggests this awkwardly, throwing his arm around my shoulder and leading me, against my own volition, towards his waiting squad car.

"No!" I shout, suddenly finding my voice. "I need you to take me down to the station; I've got something I need to give to my dad."

Jake sighs loudly, shaking his head.

"Bella, your dad has given me strict orders to make sure you're okay. I'm sure if he were here, he'd want you to go and get checked out first. Anything you have to show him can wait. Now c'mon," he demands, his voice a bit more authoritative then before.

"Jake, you don't understand! You need to arrest that man!" I exclaim wildly, pointing to Laurent. "I've g-," I stop immediately when Jake does a one eighty on the balls of his feet, turning so that he is now facing me.

"No Bella, don't do this here," he seethes, his dark eyes burning as he motions to a couple of the officers within earshot that are lower on the totem pole. "Now you come with me like I have asked you to or I will have to put you under arrest for disobeying my orders. Got it?" There is such finality in his tone that I know there is no use in arguing with him. I take one more hopeful glance in the direction Edward has headed in, but alas, there is no sign of him or the stolen motorcycle. I sigh heavily, say a silent prayer for Edward's safety, and cross my arms over my chest. As I brush past Jake, my shoulder roughly makes contact with his large frame. Jake snarls, but doesn't say anything else as he continues 'assisting' me to the car.

When we pull out of the drive, Laurent gives me a cocky grin from the sidewalk; his face bloody from the altercation. I quickly turn my head in the opposite direction so he doesn't get the satisfaction of seeing how he affects me.

It's a silent ride to the hospital, other than the chatter over the in-car dispatch system. From what I can make out, it seems Edward has somehow managed to get far enough ahead of the trailing officers that they're worried they've lost him. Jake grips the steering wheel even tighter and I look down to hide the smirk on my face.

"I'm going to drop you off here and head on down to the station. Looks like we've got a situation on our hands," Jake says as he pulls up to the emergency room entrance. I roll my eyes; he's so concerned about my safety that he's just going to drop me off and leave.

"Now, go on in there and tell them what all happened. Make sure they check you out for Stockholm syndrome, okay?" He looks at me pointedly. "I don't like the way you were looking at that piece of trash as he floored it out of the parking lot," Jake instructs and I bite my tongue to refrain from informing him that no ER doctor is going to be able to do that; Stockholm syndrome is a psychological disorder after all. Plus, what has gotten into him? Jake isn't always the most pleasant person to be around, but who the hell does he think he is, bossing me around like that?

_Fuck him. _

Just as Jake is about to pull away, I do something I'm sure I'll come to regret later, but can't seem to find it in myself to care at the current moment.

"Oh hey, Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"I believe these are yours," I say, tossing the keys to his Mustang through the open window and into his lap. Jake's eyes widen as he realizes what the keys belong to. "Hopefully you won't think the damage I did to her is too bad." With that, I turn and quickly walk through the hospital entrance, not giving Jake the opportunity to respond. I wish I could see his face when he realizes he's been played.

"Ms. Swan?" a nurse calls out about twenty minutes later and gestures for me to follow her through the admitting room doors.

"Have a seat Ms. Swan. I just need to get a little bit of information and take your blood pressure before the doctor sees you. If you have any personal items, I'll need you to place them in this bag." I don't think twice before I empty the remnants of my jean pockets into the bag.

"I'll put this in the hospital safe and when you're discharged I'll make sure it gets back to you. Alright, now follow me Ms. Swan," she instructs after completing her protocols. She places me in a small, sterile room and closes the curtain behind her after she makes sure I am situated.

The emergency room is quiet, except for the sound of an occasional cart being wheeled down one of the corridors. I lay back on the bed, closing my eyes and letting my mind wander over all of the events that have taken place over the course of the last couple of days.

I'm disrupted from my thoughts a couple of minutes later when a recognizable voice rings out across the ER.

"Where is she?" my dad pleads, the heels of his work boots making a loud thump as he approaches where I'm still waiting for the doctor.

"Bella?" he asks, peeking his head through the curtain. "Are you okay?" His face is red, his eyes full of concern. I nod my head solemnly, knowing that it is my physical state he is asking about, not my mental.

"God, I am so glad that you're safe. If something would have happened to you, I don't know what I would have done, Bella." His voice is gruff and full of emotion. I offer him a small smile and fiddle with the laces of my shoes to keep my mind from being bombarded with thoughts of Edward.

"You don't have to worry about that Cullen asshole anymore. Jake and the guys caught up to him over near LaPush. We're going to lock up that scumbag and throw away the key. He'll never see the light of day again if I have anything to say about it," Charlie half mumbles, half grunts.

"Dad, before you do that; I have something I need to show you. Let me just grab my cell-," I say but then stop abruptly as I reach for my pockets, suddenly realizing my phone isn't there.

_Shit! _

Now where did the nurse put that bag?

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into Bella's thoughts. I think we might be hearing a bit more from her next week as well! **

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**Big hugs to MC for always helping us out, even when we are really late!**


	19. Chapter 17

**Apologies all around this week! First off, sorry that this is so late. Little Wise Owl had some computer issues but it's still Friday so we are good. And secondly, I must apologize for being a complete fail at review replies this week. We dearly appreciate each and every one! I just got bogged down on my Katalina fundraiser piece. I hope you were able to donate because it will be an amazing compilation! **

**Anywho, on with the story!**

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__Chapter 17

_**BPOV**_

I sprint as fast as I can through the hospital curtains and down one of the corridors, looking for the admitting nurse. Charlie is hot on my heels.

She _has _to be around here somewhere. I swerve back and forth in the hallway, peeking behind each set of fabric doors.

"Bella, stop! You're acting like a crazy person!" Charlie reprimands from behind me in a hushed tone, trying not to draw any unnecessary attention to the situation. I shake my head, never letting up on my stride, as my mind runs a million miles a second.

Jake's behavior had thrown me off earlier; something wasn't right about the situation.

_What if I'm too late? What if Jake got too rough with Edward when they caught up with him? What if things went down like they had back at the garage? What if someone got hurt?_

_Oh my God! _

_What if Edward got shot?_

My pace quickens.

"You don't understand! We have to hurry!" I yell out to him as the palms of both of my hands make contact with the swinging doors that lead back to the ER waiting room. There the admitting nurse stands, making idle chit chat with a much younger, much more attractive, male orderly.

"Ma'am! My cell phone! That bag!" I shout in choppy sentences. Her head does a ninety degree turn when she takes note of my entrance. The man she is talking to takes the lull in their conversation.

A mother, icing her son's bumped knee in one of the waiting chairs, shoots me a demeaning glance.

"What?" the nurse asks dumbly as I approach, quirking an eyebrow.

"My cell phone! It's in the bag that you had me put my things in! I've got to get it out; it has information on it that could keep an innocent man from being executed! Where is it?" I demand as she stands motionless, digesting the words I've just said. After a few seconds of her staring blankly back at me, she holds up a finger, as if asking me to wait, as she retreats back to the nurse's station.

"Bella, you're making a scene." Charlie tries to reason with me. "Now let's just go back and have a seat and wait until the doctor has a chance to give you a quick once over," he suggests, putting his arm around my shoulders and attempting to lead me back in the direction we just came from. I quickly shrug him off, something in my gut telling me that I need to hurry.

"Dad, listen. Edward did not kill anyone. If you'd just gi-,"

"Bella-,"

"Dad, stop. We don't have a lot of time. Please, trust me on this," I plead. Charlie shakes his head and rubs his temples, but eventually nods in defeat. He is never one for confrontation.

After what feels like an eternity, the nurse finally returns, my bag in hand. I hastily fish my phone out of the bottom of it and mash a couple of buttons.

"Listen!" I say, shoving the phone in my dad's direction.

_**EPOV **_

The road flies by beneath the tires of the motorcycle I've just stolen, as I throttle the gears to get every ounce of power out of it. The engine roars with enthusiasm as it snakes around the mountainous road that leads out of Forks. When I finally get up the nerve to check the small rearview mirror, there is nothing but an empty roadway and foliage in my wake.

Part of me feels bad for the poor bloke I've just robbed clean of his prized Harley, while an even bigger part of me aches for the little brunette I left standing there in a trail of dust.

As much as she didn't deserve the way I just treated her, a very rational and understanding part of my subconscious knew she was much better off without me in her life. Though I wasn't the murderer I had been labeled as, I certainly wasn't a positive influence and she didn't need a convict hanging around. I had bad news written all over me.

But regardless of how lucid those thoughts were, I couldn't help but to wonder about that instant connection I felt when Bella entered my life. She was special; there was no doubt about that.

I'm lost in a sea of Bella Swan induced thoughts when a noise wails out from behind me and causes me to lose my train of thought and balance. The front tire instantly begins to fishtail and the bike lurches across the divided highway. Unthinkingly, I rotate the handlebars back in the opposite direction and the bike overcorrects, causing the back tire to lose all traction. In fractions of seconds, the bike begins to tip over, sending me, and about five hundred pounds of carbon fiber and chrome, sliding across the damp roadway. Fortunately, my right shoulder clips the pavement first and my body somersaults over itself and into a pile of recently cut grass that sits along the roadside.

As I lie there, holding my shoulder and thanking my lucky stars, blue lights swarm the area.

'_This is it', _I think to myself as my senses are overcome by screeching tires and slamming doors.

"We've got you right where we want you! Put your hands on top of your head Mr. Cullen! We're not going to let you get away this time!" an officer shouts over the in-car radio system.

My mind immediately begins to try and come up with a way to get out of this mess, but my body quickly shoots down the only command my brain is handing out: run.

I sigh, relenting to the fact that I've been caught, and I do as I'm told.

Jake and another officer I recognize from back at the garage approach and hastily snatch me from the ground. Jake tugs my arm roughly and I cry out in pain as I feel the muscle in my shoulder rip apart.

"That's right you, motherfucker! If you don't start cooperating, there is going to be much more where that came from!" Jake hisses, banging my head against the roof of the car as he throws me into the backseat.

It's a long and painful drive down to the station. Jake slams on the brakes every couple of minutes and sends me flying into the divider piece of Plexiglas just for shits and giggles.

"You know, I'd kill you if you'd have done something to Bella. I'm in line to be the next Chief of Police when that old man of hers croaks over from all of that shit food he eats. If something had happened to her under my watch, well, let's just say; more than heads would roll," Jake taunts, glancing back at me through the rearview mirror. I bite my tongue to keep from telling him the feeling is mutual.

I'm shoved like cattle being herded into an interrogation room when we arrive at the station. I sit there for the next hour in pain.

Jake and another officer enter the room a little while later, laughing about some inside joke.

_I'm glad someone is having a good time around here, because it sure as hell ain't me. _

"Edward Cullen. The infamous Edward Cullen," Jake grunts; cockiness in his voice. "Now, pray tell what brings you to our neck of the woods?" I roll my eyes, saying nothing; I'd seen this done a million times in the movies.

"Now, you asshole, you listen here: you will answer the questions that I ask you if you know what is best for you," Jake seethes, leaning in closer when I don't immediately answer his question. His breath reeks of strong coffee and mint.

"I have nothing to say to you. Nothing," I spit back at him. It's obvious, from his earlier snide comments about the current chief, that he is using Bella to climb the ranks at work. He doesn't deserve my breath or my explanations.

"Bad choice!" Jake shouts, grabbing onto the front of my shirt as he shoves me out of my chair. I stumble back against the wall, surprised by his sudden movement.

"I am the head cop in charge around here and when I-"

The door flies open; the contact it makes with the wall rattles the double sided glass window in the room.

Jake and I both turn our heads in the direction of the racket.

"I'd let go of that man's shirt if I were you!" a gruff voice firmly advises.

"I'll be damned," I mutter under my breath, not believing my eyes.

There stands Chief Swan, cheeks red and eyes wide. It doesn't escape me that his hand rests on the gun in the holster on his left hip.

"Chi-Chief Swan, I was-I was just-" Jake stutters, immediately turning me loose. He takes a few steps backwards, his eyes trained on the ground, ashamed of his actions.

There behind Charlie stands the little brunette that has been on my mind all day.

"Bella," I groan out.

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	20. Chapter 18

**Hello all! Welcome to all the new readers and reviewers. We are so excited to have you join us on this ride! Unfortunately it is almost coming to an end. *sniff, sniff* Looks like 2 more chapters and an epi at this point. **

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Chapter 18

As soon as her name leaves my lips her tiny body comes barreling through and crashes into mine. Her arms grabbing tightly to my neck holding onto me and saying over and over again, "I'm glad you're okay. I'm so glad you're alright."

My hands move to her hair as I stroke it repeatedly trying to calm her. "I'm fine," I whisper into her ear, feeling both shocked and excited by her display.

But before I can get used to the idea of Bella's concern for me I hear Jake's snarl coming closer.

"What the hell, Bella?" he all but shouts, causing Bella's body to tighten in my arms.

She whirls around and faces him with a look of pure determination and loathing, her body standing in front of me as if trying to shield me from Jake.

"You are the most despicable, low life, human being I have ever met, Jacob Black. And I want you to stay as far away from me as possible," she tears into him as he tries to take a few steps closer. His hands are balled into fists and I can see his chest rising and falling in anger.

"Bella, he's a criminal. An escaped convict. You're seriously going to choose him over me?" Jake's voice has an element of controlled anger that seems to be verging on losing it. "I have given you everything you have ever wanted. I can provide for you. When I'm Chief of Police you will have the life you've always wanted."

He's practically begging her now but the tears streaming down Bella's face are not ones of forgiveness.

The yell that unfurls from this petite woman in front of me is the most heartbreaking mix of anger and sadness as she hurls her body towards Jake, her fists flying.

I take a small step forward wanting to grab Bella and hold her in my arms again to comfort the pain that she must now be experiencing. But before I can go any further Chief Swan steps in.

He gently grabs hold of Bella and tucks her into his chest all the while keeping a stern eye on Jacob Black.

"Officer Black, I believe you are done here. And you are wanted upstairs with Internal Affairs. I will be in shortly to discuss this matter with you." Chief Swan gives him the look that tells him the conversation is over and Jacob walks out the door like a dog with his tail between his legs.

As he turns towards me, his look softens a bit. "Son, do you have a place to stay until we get this mess sorted out for you? We can give you some protection if you would like, if think you need it."

"I'll look after him, Dad," Bella says straightening her body with a look of confidence and taking a few steps towards me in the process.

Chief Swan nods his head in consent. "Take care, Edward. We will be in touch soon. I have some men already on the search for Laurent. It seems he fled the area as soon as we left. But don't worry, we always catch our man."

We shake hands and I can't help but rub my head thinking of what happened when they finally caught up with _me_. But this time I know that Laurent deserves whatever the cops dish out to him. Too bad it's not Jake and his cronies taking him in.

"Ready to go?" Bella asks me, her hand outstretched timidly in my direction.

I take her tiny hand in mine and say without a doubt, "I'm ready and willing."

We pull into her place, a small apartment building in town, and she parks her dad's car in the carport. Thankfully, the Chief said he would use the patrol car to get home tonight so we don't have to drive around town doing a car switch.

Inside, her apartment is neat and tidy except for a pile of papers on her living room coffee table. It gives a homey yet feminine feel with pictures of her and her dad scattered about, little knick knacks over the fireplace and a bowl of potpourri on the table.

The ride over here was short and silent, neither of us discussing what happened at the police station. The tension in the room is filled with awkwardness, all of our carefree, easy times a distant memory.

"Well, this is it," Bella says quietly without even looking at me. "It's not much but it's home. I'm not here that often between work and…Jake."

She says the last word almost like a whisper and my body takes over with the desire to comfort her. To be there for her when she needs me. To do the one thing I know I can do for her.

"Hey," I tell her softly, crossing the small room in two great strides and taking her in my arms. "You don't need to worry about him anymore. I won't let him near you."

Her body starts shaking as all the feelings she's been holding onto the last couple of days come to the surface and sobs spill out. I just hold her and soothe her, my hands slowly rubbing up and down her back, letting her get it all out, my shirt getting soaked with her tears.

After a few minutes, her body stops moving, the tears are no longer pouring out and she whispers into my chest, "I'm sorry."

"Bella, there is no reason for you to apologize. You have done nothing wrong and have been through a lot. I'm sure hearing Jacob's plans for your future had to have been tough to hear."

She nods still not looking up at me, and I gently push her away so I can see her face. Bella doesn't comply, her eyes looking down at our feet. I take her chin in my hand and tenderly bring her face up towards mine.

As I look into her red eyes, her cheeks still streaked with tears and her nose bright from crying, I can't help the feelings that come rushing through me and I take her mouth in mine. Lightly at first, so as not to scare her and to gauge her reaction. I do not want to ruin this but I can't keep my body from hers.

Her mouth molds instantly to mine, her lips opening up slightly letting my tongue meet hers. The taste of her tears mixes with her own unique taste and I can't help but to devour it, all the while wanting more.

The kiss becomes more passionate, each of us losing ourselves in each other and the moment. Our hands begin to roam all over our bodies; hers feeling the rough planes of mine and me loving every soft and supple curve of hers.

I lead her over towards the couch, not letting any part of my body lose contact with hers but she stops me and pulls away.

The look in my eyes is pure confusion as I see the lust that emanates from hers. Bella takes my hand and without a word guides me down the hallway to what I presume is her room.

"Bella?" I ask, questioning her mental capacities but all the while hoping she won't change her mind. The erection in my pants has been aching for a long time and she is the girl I want to give it to…repeatedly.

"I want this, Edward," she states quietly but firmly, turning to face me. "I _need_ this. Please?"

Who am I to deny her? Especially since it's the one thing I want as well.

I nod my assent and follow her into the bedroom.

Her bedroom is simple; a queen sized bed, a small side table adorned with a lamp, and one wall completely covered by a bookcase, filled to the brim with books.

My mind can't take in any more details than that as I see Bella turn back towards me, slowly unbuttoning her shirt; her large, brown eyes not leaving mine. Her confidence and lust returning.

I cannot control myself any longer and rush towards her grabbing at her shirt and tearing it away from her. Buttons go flying around the room.

In my head I know I want to worship her and show her how I truly feel about her. But a different head is in control at the moment and I just want to ravish her. I'm hoping there will be time for the former a little later on.

The gasp that I hear escape from Bella's lips is a complete turn on and I take a moment to look at her; bra exposed, her luscious breasts heaving from the excitement.

Again our lips meet and I moan into her mouth as I feel the contact of her skin. But it's not enough. As I lay her gently on her bed I use one hand and take my shirt off, pulling it over my head and tossing it on the floor next to me.

Our breathing becomes more erratic at the pure, physical contact of skin on skin. I palm her breasts and she sheds her blouse, pushing her breasts closer to me.

I make quick work of her bra and with her glorious breasts exposed I take one in my mouth while palming the other. Her body starts to writhe beneath me and my name is whispered from her lips, spurring me on.

Her soft hands make their way to my trousers and she slowly undoes each button on them, my hips bucking at the contact. When she finishes I tear myself away from her breasts for a moment and leave a trail of kisses down her stomach before I move to shed my trousers and add them to the heap on the floor.

I rake my eyes over her body, heaving and waiting for me and return the favor by removing both her jeans and her knickers in one fell swoop.

She is truly a sight to behold and my cock aches to be buried inside her. I quickly remove my boxers and kneel down toward her glistening center, my mouth already watering at the prospect.

Her hands promptly find purchase in my hair as I lick her sweet folds and tease her with my fingers. I hum in appreciation against her and the moans that course through her tell me she is more than ready for me.

"Now, Edward. I need you inside of me," Bella exclaims when she can't take any more of my teasing and I gladly comply.

After sheathing my length with the condom offered by Bella, I pull my body on top of hers, my weight resting on my arms by her head, and look deep into her eyes. We hold our gaze for a moment, green piercing brown as I line myself up to her entrance wanting to say something but not sure what.

Bella reaches for my head and brings it to hers, kissing me and confirming that this is what she wants. I thrust fully into her and we both whimper at the feeling.

It's the most intense feeling I have ever had with a woman and I gradually start pumping my rock hard cock into her. She meets every thrust with her own and our rhythm picks up its pace until we are no longer gentle.

Our bodies are covered with a thin sheen of sweat and we come together, both of us crying out each other's name. I fall to the side, not wanting to hurt her and we lay a tangled mess of limbs, enjoying the moment.

After several minutes of stillness and soft touches, Bella turns and looks at me with a serious but thoughtful look on her beautifully flushed face.

"I'm thinking we need to start working on your case, Edward."

My eyes open as wide as saucers as I start to process what she just said.

No, she can't be. Can she?

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**So did we do it justice? And is this a cliff hanger you can deal with? *snickers* Share your thoughts in the reviews!**


	21. Chapter 19

**Our deepest apologies for flaking last week! We hope that you forgive us since we have been pretty much on schedule since the beginning. But we are human and sometimes things happen to get us off track. Hopefully this longer chapter will make up for it! **

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 19

"You're a…you're a lawyer?" I ask dumbly, stuttering in my disbelief. Bella smiles climbing off of her bed and scampering over to collect her laptop from her small work desk.

"I am," she confirms softly. She gathers a couple of miscellaneous items in her arms: a pen, a legal pad, a pair of reading glasses, and then rejoins me on the bed. I use my elbows as leverage and hoist myself up, my back landing flush against the headboard.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I ask almost incredulously, a bit stunned she hadn't thought it important enough to bring up before now. We'd just spent the last couple of days on a Bonnie and Clyde-esque crime spree, yet she hadn't found it imperative to tell me she was a lawyer?

No way.

"Would you have taken me along with you if I had?" she asks, quirking an eyebrow in my direction. Damn she looks sexy in those glasses! I shake my head.

"No, probably not," I admit honestly, running a hand through my disarrayed hair.

"You might as well give that up because your hair is a lost cause." Bella smirks as her computer boots up. I sigh in agreement as she types diligently away into a newly opened Word document.

Bella runs me through a barrage of questions; leaving no stone unturned, no leaf uncovered.

"Can't we just have sex again and finish this up tomorrow?" I suggest after about an hour and a half later. Bella gives me a stern look, clearly in Prosecution Mode, and keys in more information.

"No better time than the present," she reminds. "Plus, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get on with our lives."

Hmm.

She has a point.

Bella asks questions for the good part of an hour before she feels confident with the amount of information she has accrued. Though I am thankful she has been so thorough, I'm even more delighted when she clicks the 'save' button on the document and begins to shut down her computer.

I readjust myself on the bed, lying my head back on the pillow, and after Bella returns from putting her laptop away, she lies down with me and rests her head on my chest. We lie there in silence, my hand stroking the long, silky strands of her hair absentmindedly.

I'm just about to doze off when Bella's phone suddenly begins to vibrate on the bedside table. The jarring noise startles both of us and Bella bolts upright with a start. I instinctively reach out and place my hand on her shoulder in comfort as she answers.

"Hello?" she asks; her voice heavy with exhaustion. "Yeah, no, I understand. Right. Sure, okay, I'll tell him. We'll be ready. Tomorrow. Love you too, bye." Bella hits the 'end' button on her phone and tosses it back on her nightstand before turning to face me.

"What is it?" I ask, a bit worried by the new, dubious expression that dawns across her face.

"That was my dad," she says slowly, as if testing the words as they come out of her mouth. "He wanted to let us know that he would be by in an hour."

"Oh, okay…"

"Edward, my dad is coming by to arrest you. You're still technically a wanted man after all." I sigh and rub my fingertips into my temples. Why hadn't I thought of that? Of course I just wouldn't be able to live in normal civilization until I was exonerated; I'd been convicted of murder after all. And escaped from prison no less.

"Bella, why did he let me go when he had me down at the station if he was just going to come around and arrest me?" I ask, only to see Bella smiling shyly at me.

"I might have told him that if he didn't give us a little time to ourselves, I'd file charges on your behalf against the Forks Police Department. Jake's actions were a bit excessive and forceful, don't ya think?" she asks innocently, biting into her lip.

Ah…that's my girl.

But what was going to happen if I got tossed back in jail and Bella wasn't able to get my conviction thrown out?

"Bella, I'm scared," I blurt out against my own volition. Bella offers me a comforting smile and lays back down, returning her head to my chest.

"I know; I am too," she confesses, "but I am completely confident in your case. If I thought there was any chance of you winding up back behind bars, I'd hand you the keys to my car right this very moment and we'd get the hell out of here." I nod, knowing she was telling the truth. I needed to have faith in her and really, she hadn't given me any reason not to. I mean, I wasn't six feet under at the moment after all.

"I know; you're right. I just need to get my mind off all of the negative possibilities," I confess, placing a soft kiss into her hair. She nuzzles closer.

"I have an idea of how to preoccupy you," she whispers seductively, her hand trailing down the length of my body. My cock immediately responds to her gentle touch.

"You're going to be the death of me," I whimper, our lips making contact heatedly. Our kissing quickly turns heavy, her lips burning a trail of warm kisses across my jaw.

Bella nips and teases at my earlobe as my hand snakes up the backside of her shirt.

"God, I want you," she grunts as she pulls herself up onto her knees and straddles my lap. Her moves are so languid, so sensual, that I feel like a sixteen year old boy, about to release my load in my jeans, when the heat of her core rubs against my dick.

"Take me," I tell her as her fingertips find the zipper of my fly. Her hand slips in the small opening after she pulls it down and gropes me roughly. I could really get use to having this vixen of a woman take care of my needs like this.

"Oh, I plan to," she groans, stroking the entire length of my erection. Something about the way she varies the speed of her hand and the intensity of her grip tells me that Bella Swan likes to be in control.

Twenty minutes later, we're both an equal mix of sweat, soft touches, and exhaustion.

"We should probably get cleaned up before my dad gets here," Bella relents. I close my eyes, having been dreading those words since the moment she hung up the phone a little while ago.

"Yeah, probably. I should perhaps catch a quick shower and try to tend to my wounds a bit," I suggest, begrudgingly pulling my arm out from underneath her back and climbing off of the bed.

"Here, I'll help you," she says with a grin and follows me into the bathroom.

Fuck Charlie Swan. If he was to get here and find me driving balls deep into his daughter against the shower wall, well….that'd be his problem, not mine.

Not two hours later, I have been formally booked into the Clallam County Jail. When Chief Swan leads me to my private cell he must detect my solemn attitude.

"It's okay, son; my daughter is the best there is; she'll get this all sorted out in no time," he says, trying to lighten the mood. I offer him a small smile as he closes the cell door behind me and locks the pad.

"I know, but that sure doesn't make being back in this kind of place much easier to stomach," I confess. Charlie grunts in understanding before retreating back to the front of the jailhouse.

True to Charlie's words, he tells me early the next morning that Bella has filed papers with the district to have my conviction overturned.

"What does that mean exactly?" I ask, a bit ashamed I hadn't yet gotten a better handle on the American Justice System.

"It means that before a judge will hear your case, Prosecution from the State must present enough evidence to prove you have been wrongfully convicted."

Two days later, I stand before Judge Victoria Cope as she informs me the State will be willing to hear my case and she would like to set the trial for 9AM the following morning. I couldn't be more thankful. It's also the first time since I got put back in jail that I have had my hands free long enough to touch Bella again.

"You holding up okay?" she asks, just like she has the last two days when she has visited me back at the jailhouse.

"As best as I can be," I admit, shrugging my shoulders. I hadn't been freed just yet and did not want to count my chickens before they hatch, per say.

"We're going to get your conviction overturned, Edward. We just have to go through the motions and everything is going to turn out just fine," she says kindly as her lips sweetly peck mine when we exit the courthouse.

"Have I told you thank you for all you have done and are continuing to do for me?" I ask, pressing her small body against one of the marble columns that adorn the main entrance of the courthouse.

"No, but you've most definitely showed it." I grin as her lips nip at mine. I can't wait for the moment the Judge throws out my murder conviction and then Bella and I can get on with trying to create a life together.

"See you tomorrow at the trial," she says as the bailiff asks me to place my hands behind my back to be cuffed.

"Tomorrow," I say in farewell as I duck into the backseat of the awaiting squad car.

The next day, Charlie gathers me from my cell and brings in a dark gray suit I have never seen before.

"Bella thought it would look nice," he says with a shrug and passes it to me. That's my girl; always thinking about me. God….why I had to go through all of this shit to get to meet the girl of my dreams is beyond me, but I am sure grateful that I have.

After changing into the suit, and giving myself a quick shave, I'm ready to go and meet my fate. At the end of the day, I will either be a free man or a death row inmate, and only time will tell.

We arrive at the courthouse at a quarter til nine. I'm starting to get nervous, and just as I'm about to go crazy, there Bella is, walking into the courthouse and then joining me as she sits in the chair beside me.

My world just suddenly got brighter.

"You look beautiful today," I whisper to her. She blushes slightly before returning the compliment.

"Oh, this old thing?" I ask, pointing to my suit. "I've had it for years." Bella giggles quietly, not wanting to make a scene.

"Sorry, it was the best that I could do. It belongs to Jake. I just thought it might look nice if you dressed up today. Judge Cope has a record of siding with handsome, clean dressed gentleman in the past. Plus, she'll never be able to refuse that accent of yours." I roll my eyes. If charming the pants off the judge was going to help my case, well, so be it.

"All rise, the Honorable Judge Victoria Cope is now presiding." After going through the motions we all take to our seats.

"Ms. Swan, you have the floor," the Judge informs the court, and Bella stands up.

"Judge, I am asking you to overturn Edward Cullen's wrongful murder conviction in the case of one Tanya Denali. New evidence and resounding proof that I would like to submit to the court today will show it was not Mr. Cullen, but a Mr. Laurent Becerill who is the one responsible for Ms. Denali's death."

"Please, approach the bench with this information."

"Judge, Edward Cullen was wrongfully convicted due to circumstantial evidence. Mr. Cullen lived with Ms. Denali at the time she was murdered and the two of them had been going through some difficulty in their relationship. Edward found out that Ms. Denali had been selling and taking drugs and he was understandably upset and concerned about it. He was about to call the relationship off when he found Ms. Denali murdered. Neighbors claimed they overheard Mr. Cullen and Ms. Denali arguing over the couple of days that lead up to her death. Jurors saw this as circumstantial evidence. To them, it proved Mr. Cullen had a motive, per say, to kill Ms. Denali."

Bella walks back and forth during her opening monologue as she presents the case. She is every bit the professional up there and I can't help but beam with pride.

"However, when Edward was placed in jail he met another man named James Varner who knew Mr. Becerill very well. James informed Edward that Mr. Becerill was in fact responsible for the untimely death of Ms. Tanya Denali. Mr. Becerill had been giving drugs to Ms. Denali to sell and when she was unable to collect the money from the people she had sold them to, Ms. Denali was then forced to find the money herself. When she was unable to do so, Ms. Denali was given a deadline by Mr. Becerill that said if she didn't have the money by a certain date and time; she was going to pay the ultimate price."

My heart aches a bit when they talk about Tanya's death. She may not have been the perfect woman for me, but I did have feelings for her and it saddens me to think her life had to end the way it did.

The rest of the day continues much the same. Bella slips in every bit of information and piece of evidence she thinks will help our case. She's impressive to watch and very good at her job.

By the time five o'clock rolls around, things begin to wind down.

"How does this work?" I whisper to Bella as she rests her case.

"Well, the Judge will be able to grant you clemency today if she sees it fit. After that, I'll bring forth the charges to have Laurent arrested and locked up until a trial and jury can be put together."

I nod my head in understanding, hoping that everything Bella has done is enough.

"Please rise," the bailiff says as the Judge enters the room.

"In the case of Edward Cullen vs. the State of Washington, I find that there was not sufficient evidence taken into account during the original trial to convict a man to death row. That being said, I am hereby expunging Capital Murder from your permanent record, Mr. Cullen. You will still need to face the law for escaping prison, kidnapping, and theft of property, but until the State brings forth those charges, you are free to go. Do you clearly understand what I have said to you?" she asks, addressing me for the first time.

"Yes ma'am," I say and she smiles.

"British, are we?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Nice. I always had a thing for a British accent," she says with a wink and then continues on, "Ms. Swan, I'll expect to see charges tomorrow for Mr. Becerill. Got it?"

"Got it, Judge."

"You two are free to go then," she finishes and then adjourns the court.

"So, now what shall we do?" I ask Bella as we climb into her car and pull out into the roadway.

"I know _who_ I'd like to do," she admits with a wink.

I mash my foot against the gas pedal a little harder.

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**Finally justice is served for our Fugitiveward! Now let's hope they find Laurent. So how's everyone doing out there? **

**Thanks for all of your support!**


	22. Chapter 20

**Well, this is it. The final chapter with just the epilogue left to post. Stick around at the end for a more heartfelt A/N.**

**And remember that we don't own Twilight. We just turn them into this crazy, fugitive-loving gang!**

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Chapter 20

Taking Bella into the bedroom of her flat, I silently promise myself to properly show her just how thankful I truly am for her and everything she's done for me. And not just for setting me free from my death sentence. For all she, herself, has brought to my life.

Bella Swan is my savior in many ways; I can finally feel again. The emotions I have kept at bay these past few years come to the surface when I'm with her…and it's not necessarily a bad thing. I know I am not completely healed, but with Bella by my side, I do know we can get through this…together.

I worship every inch of her body, my hands roaming teasingly over all of her dips and curves. This is the woman I love and I have never felt anything like this before.

With Tanya it was all about the heat of the moment, each of us taking what we needed from each other. But with Bella, it is the polar opposite. We give and give and the return is so much greater.

My mouth is savoring every taste her body has to offer me as I lick and kiss the path that my hands have made. Slowly I make my way down below her belly button, but stop just before I am where she is aching to have me.

Bella's body is writhing underneath mine, begging me to give her what she wants, but I'm not ready for that yet. She needs to be appreciated to the fullest extent that I can offer.

I move down to her foot and lightly kiss up her soft, creamy leg until I reach her knee, spending extra time there. When I arrive at her thigh, I stop and start all over again, showing the same attention to her other leg.

Bella is almost coming undone.

"Not yet, love. I'm not done with you yet," I tell her, my mouth coming closer to her opening and I can see how wet she is for me.

"Edward, please," she whimpers, her hips rising and bringing herself closer to my yearning tongue.

Immediately I make quick work with my tongue, lapping her from back to front. My tongue is in heaven as I lick her delectable juices and I dive further into her folds, loving the taste and feel.

When I am satisfied I have done justice to Bella's entire gorgeous body, I rip open the foil packet I have at the ready. Our bodies meet as one, and although we are completely joined, each of us feeling the desire to be closer.

We move in tandem, bringing each other joy and pure ecstasy. After satisfying one another repeatedly, we fall together in bed; a tangle of limbs and sheets, sweat glistening on both of our bodies.

"You are amazing, my love. Do you know that?" I look into Bella's eyes hoping to convey a semblance of my feelings for her.

Bella looks down, a shyness coming to rest on her face. "You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Cullen."

Her hands trail up and down my chest and abdomen as her head rests snuggly by my side.

"I'm serious, Bella. I don't know where I'd be without you. Well, actually I do: I'd probably be in prison or six feet under, but you have managed to save me time and time again."

"Edward, the feeling is mutual. If it wasn't for you I would still be in a dead end, emotionally unstable relationship just because I was too comfortable to leave. Without you I wouldn't know the whole truth about what a douche Jake is either."

"Yeah, what ended up happening to him anyway?" My fingers stroke Bella's hair and down her arm as we talk.

Bella lets out a chuckle. "Well, Internal Affairs put him on probation for the stunt he pulled with you. They're looking into his file, but I doubt that anyone will testify against him. All in all he was a good cop with a pretty clean record on the force. He was just too ambitious to become Chief and he let that cloud his better judgment."

I sigh in frustration and move my hand up to palm my hair in hopes of calming the feeling of anger raging from deep within me.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Bella says soothingly. "My dad said he took care of it. I have a feeling that Jacob Black isn't going to want to stay on the force after my dad gets done with him."

I nod my head with my eyes closed. I really want some closure with all of this.

"Oh and there is some more good news." Bella sits up with a gleam in her eye. "Laurent was found heading back up to Seattle. It seems he made the stupid decision to go back home and pick up some of his things first. It gave the police the extra time they needed to find him."

Well, that certainly was good news. More than anything I want to see Tanya's real murderer pay the price. No one, no matter how messed up they were, deserve to die like she did.

"So, are you going to be prosecuting him?" I ask. I have a feeling I am going to be learning more than I ever thought possible about the American Justice System.

"Oh no, I've had my fill for a while. Besides, I've done my duty by providing the evidence against him. Plus, it's a conflict of interest." Bella winks at me and I pull her in for a slow and languid kiss.

Yeah, she was probably right.

After a night of love making, both passionate and needy, and slow and meaningful, we fall asleep in each other's arms. It's the most peaceful night's sleep I've had in years.

~BF~

Days later, Bella and I are once again at the courtroom, this time for Laurent's conviction. We both decided that it wasn't a good idea for me to be there during the trial. Hearing Laurent's admission of guilt had been enough to make my blood boil the first time.

Just as we are about to open the heavy wooden doors, we hear footsteps running toward us.

Both of us look up at the commotion and see the one bloke that both Bella and I have been hoping to avoid.

Jacob Black.

"Bella, I'm glad I caught you. We really need to talk, I need to explain, I am so sorry," Jake blathers on, getting closer to Bella with each word. My insides clench, as does my jaw and right hand.

All of a sudden, Jake is whirled away from us and pushed up against the wall.

"Don't you ever come near my daughter again. Do you hear me?" Chief Swan growls, holding Jake tightly by the scruff of his collar. Jake's legs slip and slide underneath him, trying to get free.

He nods his head minutely, unable to do more with the circulation being cut off at his throat.

Before Charlie can do any more damage, I place one hand on his shoulder to remind him of the current public location and lean in closer to Jacob.

"I would listen to the man," I say menacingly. "Or you'll have to contend with me, as well. And no, I may not be a murderer, but I did spend a good two years learning some useful retaliation tidbits in prison."

As soon as Charlie lets go of Jake, we all turn and watch him unsteadily walk away. I have a feeling we won't be seeing him again.

"Thanks boys, but I think it's time to go in and hear the sentence," Bella states as a matter of fact, but I can tell she is a little shaken up.

Several hours later, Bella and I go home and celebrate once again. Laurent will be serving the rest of my death sentence and then some. Bella's evidence was enough to force Laurent to tell the truth this time.

It was an ending I never thought I'd live to see, but will be eternally thankful for.

~BF~

The next morning I awake with an early start, my body unable to sleep in and enjoy my emancipation. I quietly remove myself from Bella's embrace and head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

Sitting at the kitchen table, tea in hand, I stare at the small scrap of paper that I had found crumpled in my old jeans pocket.

Nervously I finger the phone next to me, the inner turmoil raging, until I feel a small warm hand on my shoulder.

My Bella.

Without a word, she sits next to me, squeezes my hand, and gives me a nod of approval, letting me know she will support my decision. Whatever it may be.

I know I have no choice; I have to find out what happened.

I look once again at the number written on the tiny slip of paper, seeing the familiar penmanship and take a deep breath. Without another thought, I dial the number.

The phone rings three times and I quickly hang up. I count to thirty and dial again. Bella rubs soothing circles on my thigh.

I am in no way prepared for the peppy, singsong voice that greets me. Although, I should be.

"Hello, Alice. Um, it's Edward," I stammer, still in shock that she answered the phone at all. "Are you guys all alright?"

My heart is heavy as she answers, "Hold on, let me get Jasper."

"Hey man, we've been watching you on TV. I can't believe you're a free man again!" Jasper's voice sounds excited but no one is telling me what I want to know.

"Jasper please, is everyone okay? What happened with all of you?" I think the desperate pleading in my voice finally sinks into Jazz's brain.

"Yeah man, we're fine. Whatever stunt you and Bella pulled after we left distracted them for a while. All eyes seemed to be on you and we took full advantage. Emmett and Rose are here with us and we are all fine. Thanks to you."

I physically relax and give Bella a small smile of relief and a nod to let her know that the gang is okay. For now at least.

"Jazz, Bella and I think Em should turn himself in and that you may have to fake your death," I say reluctantly, knowing full well neither him nor Em is going to like this idea.

"Are you fucking kidding me, man?" Jasper yells and I move the phone away from my ear until he's finished ranting.

"Jasper, calm down. Bella and I have a plan. It's not fool proof but we think it could work."

Bella and I had spent a lot of time during visits trying to figure out how we could free Jasper and Emmett. We already knew that my case was pretty solid and so our thoughts went to our friends next.

I am hoping someday Bella will be able to spend some quality time with them so she can get to know how wonderful they really are. But it's going to have to wait for a bit.

"Jasper, listen to me. Bella believes that she can reduce Emmett's sentence and use the time he's served already to get him out earlier. You, on the other hand, are a tiny bit more difficult."

"Hey man, it's not my fault that robbery got all fucked up. And I wasn't even the one that pulled the trigger!" I really need to calm Jasper down before he alerts his entire neighborhood of his whereabouts.

"I know, I know. It wasn't your fault. But listen, Bella's not a miracle worker and we already know that your man, Liam, isn't going to get you out of this one. Hell, he wants you both to pay the price for his trigger happy fingers."

Jazz sighs heavily into the phone and I continue, "So, our plan for you is to fake your death. Pretty sure Alice wouldn't mind if you drove that dreaded minivan straight into Puget Sound, right?"

"Alright, I'll think about it, but what do I tell Emmett? He's not gonna like this any more than I do."

"We believe that Bella can try and get a more sympathetic jury this time around. Beating a man to a pulp for raping and murdering your little sister has got to make a few people understand where he was coming from. And with the time that Em's already served; he'll be out in no time."

"This better work, man." I can hear Jasper's reservation loud and clear, but really there is no other option for them. They are both guilty men as far as the law is concerned.

"And after we get all of this squared away we will be free to do whatever we want. Well, you'll have to be careful, but I'm sure Em knows people who can help you out with your appearance and paperwork."

I end the call a few minutes later feeling a little of the heaviness that's been weighing on me the last few days leave my shoulders. I tuck Bella into my side and just sit, enjoying her warmth, her company and her trust.

"Hey Bella," I say feeling completely content. "Want to go with me to a pawn shop?"

Her face has a look of confusion. "Sure, but what do you need there?"

A smug smile creeps over my face. "A guitar," I say proudly.

Yes, I have come a long way from two years ago.

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**Thank you all so much for taking this wild ride with us! We have loved hearing your theories and ideas along the way. You guys have made this journey even better than we imagined, so thanks a ton!**

**We couldn't have done this without our amazing beta and friend, Midnight Cougar! We really appreciate all of the time and energy you put into this for us. Even when we were running way behind you were there waiting and ready! Thank you does not seem like enough. But yeah, thanks so very much!**

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**Yes, yes, the epi will be next week. We'll see where these guys are in a few years! So, see you then!**


	23. Epilogue

**A/N: We don't own Twilight, we just have a great time playing around with it!**

**More at the end, enjoy!**

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Epilogue

As I stand in the dressing room, getting ready to make Bella Swan my bride, I can't help but to reminisce about what all has changed over the past two years.

After my murder conviction was overturned, Charlie told Bella they'd drop all potential charges against me – from my prison escape on - if I was willing to let the little incident with Jake slide. I didn't really care for the idea of letting him get off the hook for his behavior, but I knew I didn't want to spend any more time away from my Bella than I had to, so I relented.

My Bella…

I fell in love with Bella the moment I laid my eyes on her in the diner on that fateful night…I just didn't know it then. She proved to me over the following couple of weeks that she was the one meant for me. Each and every thing about her impressed me, amazed me, and inspired me. She was exactly what I had always wanted in my other half; I just couldn't believe that I had gotten so lucky to find it after all I'd been through.

We moved in together about three weeks after my trial. To most that might seem rather fast, but Bella and I both knew we had found something truly special in one another and didn't want to take the risk of letting anyone or anything get in between us.

About six months later, we got the surprise of our lives: Bella was expecting! And after we got over the initial shock and what ifs and let the idea sink in a bit, we were both extremely excited about the fact that we were going to become parents.

When Benjamin Edward Cullen was born on July 13th, I was ecstatic. I had been by Bella's side for all fourteen hours of labor and subsequent C-section delivery, and had been blessed to watch the miracle of my son being born. When they laid him on Bella's chest for the first time, she began to cry and I couldn't hold back any longer. The sight of my soon to be wife and newborn son together for the first time was overwhelming. We were a family.

Bella and I hadn't planned to put the buggy before the horse, per say, but sometimes things just don't work out as planned. Which pretty much sums up my life. But I can't complain about any of it.

"Daaa daaa," Ben babbles from in his car seat, breaking me away from my thoughts. I pick him up and hold him to my chest, making sure not to get anything on either of our suits; Bella would not be too pleased about that!

"Shhh," I whisper to him, "We're about to go marry Mummy. How does that sound?" Ben coos and babbles a bit more, smiling like the happy baby that he is.

"Mr. Cullen, we're ready to start," the preacher interrupts, peeking his head through the doorway.

"Okay," I say, beginning to place Ben back in his car seat.

"Oh no, you don't," Alice sings from behind me. "I need the ring bearer so I can get him put in his wagon. Come on." I smile and hand my son over to Alice and watch as she makes him laugh in a matter of seconds. I'm so happy to have her in our lives now.

"He's perfect, Edward. Really perfect." She smiles and gives me a small hug before leaving me alone to fiddle with the Windsor knot in my tie.

The wedding is a complete blur. From the moment the bridal march begins to play, and I see Bella in her gown for the first time, I'm completely immobilized by her beauty and rendered useless for the remainder of the ceremony.

After countless photographs with the wedding party, we all head to the reception where the day flows effortlessly into the evening. There is a lot of laughter, tears, and congratulations, and Bella and I are constantly reminded by just how many people love us.

"Can I have your attention please?" Emmett booms out over the chatter in the room, heavily banging his dinner fork against the side of his wine glass to gather everyone's attention. Once everyone has taken to their seats, he continues.

"Bella and Edward. Bella and Edward," he reiterates. "I guess you're kind of like the real life version of Beauty and the Beast meets Bonnie and Clyde." Everyone laughs and Bella blushes. I clasp her hand under the table and place it on the inside of my thigh. She was never one for much attention.

"I can honestly say that I've never met a couple more made for each other than the two of you. I mean, if a man can hold a salmon knife to a woman's neck and drag her out of a rundown diner in the middle of the night, covered in fire retardant foam, and still manage to weasel his way into her life _and_ into her pants," he pauses while everyone laughs, "well…if that doesn't prove these two were destiny, I'm not sure what would."

Bella sighs and I take a look at Charlie, who is suddenly very interested in the tablecloth. I bite my lip to keep from laughing and shoot Emmett a warning glance. He just smiles and continues on teasing and telling stories. After Bella and her father are thoroughly embarrassed, Emmett wishes us good luck before retaking his seat.

Next, my friend Seth Clearwater from Texas, aka Jasper Whitlock, gives his speech. Jasper, of course, is much more appropriate and kid friendly with his choice of words, which Bella greatly appreciates.

The reception begins to wind down around eleven, and Charlie catches up to Bella and I just before we make our exit.

"Your friend Seth reminds me of that Jasper guy who was supposedly killed when his girlfriend's van plummeted off the Grand Canyon last year," he states, squinting his eyes and giving us an all-knowing look.

With Jasper's new hair color, colored contacts and a tiny bit of facial reconstruction from a friend of Emmett's, he is almost unrecognizable to the average civilian. But Chief Swan is not your average anything.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Daddy," Bella says sweetly, throwing her arm around his neck. "But let's not ruin my day and discuss this any more, okay?" Charlie grunts in agreement, before giving Bella a kiss on the cheek.

"Congratulations, you two. I better go find that grandson of mine; I've been looking forward to some bonding time between just us men," he says before excusing himself, leaving Bella and I alone for the first time that evening.

I slide my arm around her waist and hold her body flush to mine. Bella leans into me and I kiss her gently on her forehead.

"Hi," I sigh and whisper quietly to her. It seems like ages have passed since I've been able to hold her, even though it hasn't been long at all. This day is finally taking a toll on me and I can see Bella is pretty exhausted as well.

"Care for one last dance, Mrs. Cullen?" I ask her, taking her tiny hand in mine and leading her to the pagoda. "Then we can say our goodbyes to the guests."

Bella nods in agreement and as we dance under the stars, she rests her head on my chest. We savor the moment together as we listen to the crickets and bullfrogs sing around us, twinkly lights lighting up the night.

Luckily, we won't have far to go for our first night as a married couple. We were able to book our wedding reception and honeymoon night all in this marvelous location: The View Point Inn.

The song ends and we say goodbye to Charlie and little Ben; Bella scooping him up in her arms and peppering kisses all over his face. This will be the first time we leave Ben for more than just one night. But we both know Charlie will take extra good care of him while we are in London.

Yes, I'm finally going to be able to show Bella my hometown. I cannot wait to take her to my childhood stomping grounds and some of my favorite places. It will only be for a week, but I plan on returning again and again. Next time we'll bring Ben with us.

I lean in and kiss the top of Ben's head. "Take care of Grandpa, little man. Mummy and I will be back very soon. We love you."

The rest of our friends and family hug and kiss us congratulations and goodbyes as we make our way inside the Inn. Of course, the catcalls and whistles are from Emmett. I turn to look at him and see Rosalie jabbing him in the ribs.

Those two are perfect for each other. I'd eat my hat if we don't attend another wedding or two in the near future. Our epic road trip, as we now call it, really brought us all together and gave all of us a much brighter future.

With a smirk on my lips, I grab hold of Bella's waist and hoist her into my arms and over the threshold of our room.

Bella giggles and slaps me playfully across the chest. "I think we are passed the formalities here, Mister Cullen."

"I'm nothing if not traditional, Mrs. Cullen," I say with a wink, loving the way my name fits her perfectly. "It's about time I make a respectable woman out of you."

I place her gently on the king size bed and look longingly at her as I take off my tuxedo jacket, throwing it on a nearby chair and then loosen the tie and cummerbund. Just watching her lying there; her chest heaving in desire, her body wiggling in anticipation, I thank my lucky stars once again that fate has brought us together.

Slowly I step closer to her, my stance one of dominance and my eyes filled with predatory desire as I lean down to remove her heels. I slide my hands torturously slow up the sides of her legs, leaving soft kisses as I go. I gradually move her wedding dress up over every tiny bit of exposed stocking, my erection growing harder with every inch.

When I reach the garter holding her stockings up, I kiss and lick the bit of teasing flesh that I find. Bella writhes at the contact and bucks her hips closer to my face and hands.

"Mmmm, Edward," she moans, my name on her lips is pure desire. It fuels me to quicken my pace and bury myself inside her. But I want to be meticulous tonight and show her how thankful I am that she said yes to me.

Unclasping the stockings, I languidly unroll them down her legs. First one, then the other, teasing her with my lips, tongue and fingers as I go.

Reaching her bare toes, I kiss them and grab onto her ankles, suddenly pulling Bella to the edge of the bed with me. She shrieks in surprise and before I make my way to where we both want to be, Bella grabs hold of my face, bringing it to hers, our lips crashing in passion and need.

"I love you," she whispers to me when we break away. "Thank you for giving me this wonderful life. For everything I ever wanted and more. I love you so much."

I kiss her back but quickly return the sentiments. "No Bella, you are the one that needs the thanks. You have always supported me since the very beginning. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined having you and Ben in my life. But more precisely, actually living."

Bella knows where this is going; we've had this conversation many times. I know I wasn't living any semblance of a real life before I met her. But we also know the truth is I may not even be breathing if it wasn't for her and the belief she had for me.

"Don't," she starts, stroking my face and jaw with her soft fingertips. "We are not going to keep bringing this up. You have been given a second chance on life and we are going to live it to its fullest. Drudging it up repeatedly is not the answer."

Resting my forehead on hers, I whisper fervently, "I love you so very much."

And at that, we both start to frantically shed the other items of our clothes. Me, reaching for Bella's zipper in the back of her dress and her, scrambling to unbutton both my pants and shirt at the same time.

It would most likely look very comical to an onlooker, but both Bella and I can only see need and the craving to be even closer; it fuels us on. I take over my shirt buttons when Bella's silk wedding dress falls to the floor, leaving me staring agape at my beautiful wife.

The white satin panties that rest dangerously low on her hips, and the matching satin bra, pushing her beautiful breasts up and exposing her magnificent stomach to me. My dick twitches in my boxers and I step lovingly to her.

I reach my hand out and place it around her neck, kissing her deeply and seductively, all the while loving the moan that is trying to escape from her lips. Her hands grasp onto my hair and she tugs in pleasure making me even harder.

I trace my fingers along her collarbone and shower her with kisses as I move around her body. I slide one finger and then the next under her bra straps, sliding them down her arms and I quickly make work of the clasp on the back. I show each breast their due attention when they fall out, a glorious sight.

I make my way down her body and I kneel before her, kissing the scar on her stomach that brought our boy to us. My hands slide farther down, and I take her panties with me, teasing her extremely wet center by skimming lightly over her.

Bella's hands are in my hair once again as she guides me closer to her. "I can't wait anymore Edward, I need you," she practically begs. And who am I to deny her?

We both spend the time worshipping each other's bodies for the rest of the night. Sometimes with quick, hard thrusts and others with slow, sensual, love. She strokes me with her soft, tiny hands and I use my guitar calloused fingers to play her like the beautiful instrument she is.

After we are physically sated and lying in bed together, relaxed like never before, I surprise her with a final gift.

"Edward, there is nothing more you can give me," she giggles as she speaks, but I can see the seriousness there as well. "Having you and Ben in my life is all I'll ever need."

I place a quick peck on her forehead and reach under the bed.

"What are you doing?" She laughs and I know that my naked bum is on display. "Not that I mind the view, of course."

I return to the bed with my guitar in hand and her laugh is stifled immediately. I know she has heard the soft strums that have come out of our extra room at night but she hasn't questioned them. I spend a lot of my time these days writing music. But this, she hasn't heard.

As I play my Love Song for Bella, I can see the tears welling up in her eyes. I have had so many emotions coursing through me since I met her and this is the easiest way for me to show her. Well, without touching her, that is.

I strum the guitar, getting lost again in my feelings for her and singing the words that are meant only for her.

As I play the final chord, I look up and smile shyly. Bella claps her hands and throws her arms around my neck, crushing the guitar between us. Deftly, I remove the guitar and wrap my arms around her tiny body again.

Now, this is the life. And I have never felt freer than I do at this very moment.

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**Well, that's all she wrote, friends! We have really enjoyed this crazy adventure and sharing it with all of you made it even better. Thank you so much for all of your love and support, here in the reviews and on facebook. We love you all!**

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**On another note, I, RFM86, have another little story in the works. So feel free to head on over to my profile page and check it out. Although I should warn you, you will be craving cupcakes while you read! Yum**


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